The Nights We Share
by MinionOfMoffat96
Summary: Chat Noir and Marinette both know what it's like to love someone without them loving you ey both also understand not being able to talk to anyone about it. What happens when Adrien confides in his classmate while under the mask of Chat noir about his broken heart and when Marinette confides in her crime fighting partner about her school girl crush in her civilian form.
1. Chapter 1

Marinette-Ladybug

"Your Miraculous," Chat said, pointing at the disappearing dot on Ladybug's earring. Just as she heard his words she heard the miraculous' third beep chime in her ear.

"Well, then that's my cue to leave," She told Chat, mimicking his two finger salute. Then she grabbed her yo-yo and started to swing off when Chat grabbed her forearm. She turned back to look at the cat, "What are you doing Chat? I gotta go or else," but then she stopped. Chat wasn't looking at her, almost like he couldn't. He just looked down at his boots. A small pain grew in Ladybug's chest.

"Lady," he looked up at her, eyes softened, "Please… I Just…," Chat was interrupted by another beep from her miraculous. One dot left. Chat let her go but Ladybug couldn't let go of the pain in his voice.

"I'm sorry Chat-, "

"Go or else you won't have a choice," His voice a little harsher. Without time to respond, she slung her Yo-Yo and swung off. She hurried between buildings and leapt rooftops, barely making it home in time. Luckily she landed on her balcony just as the powers wore off. Tikki appeared for a second and then disappeared into Marinette's room to go get some snacks to refuel.

" _Lady Please,"_ Chat's words echoed in Marinette's ears and the pain in her chest grew larger. She knew how much he loved her but she couldn't tell him who she really was. Her breath hung on the chilly night air as she let her thoughts wonder. If Chat knew who she was and then was controlled by an akumatized villain again or worse akumatized himself, he wouldn't be able to control himself and would tell Hawkmoth. Everyone and everything she loved would be in danger. Her mom, her dad, Ayla, Adrien. _Adrien_ , she thought, her chest tightening at the thought of him. It also wasn't fair to lead Chat on if she already was in love with someone else.

She was curious too of course but she knew he probably had people he wanted to keep safe as well. And she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't get akumatized herself. There were days she felt pretty down after seeing Chloe with Adrien.

Marinette crossed her arms, squeezing herself tightly. It was getting colder, her breath growing more and more visible in the air. Just as she was about to turn to go inside she felt someone's hands grab her upper arms from behind and pull her back.

"Aren't you cold Princess?" Chat's voice in her ear and chest against her back suddenly startled her. Then she realized why he was there. He must've followed Ladybug. Good thing her back was facing Chat or he would've seen the panic spread across her face. _Had he seen me transform back?_ Her thoughts were racing, then she realized that his grip on her arms had loosened a bit and he had fallen quiet. Too quiet, which for Chat rarely happened.

"Chat, are you alright?" she said turning towards him. His arms fell to his side, his face toward the ground. Marinette had never seen him this sad before. She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but hesitated for just a moment. But the hesitation was enough to catch his attention. He looked up with tears in his eyes. You almost couldn't see them with his mask on, but sure enough they were there.

At first Chat didn't say anything. Chat didn't really know her as Marinette all that well, so why would he? She let her hand rest on his shoulder as he stayed silent, looking down at her. The night air suddenly didn't seem so cold.

"I lost her." He finally spoke, his voice a bit dry from the tears he had swallowed. "Her transformation was wearing off. I asked her to stay. She took off so fast. I wasn't going to follow her but then suddenly I just was." He paused, his tears coming back ever so slightly. Marinette had never known that she had made him feel so bad. Chat swallowed hard and continued, "But I lost her about a block back. She was heading this way but her transformation would've worn off by now." His eyes fell again. Thank god he hadn't made the connection to Marinette. But Chat wasn't stupid, he could make the connection any moment.

"Chat, I'm sorry. " Marinette started but then Chat turned away real fast, interrupting her apologies for the second time that night.

"Doesn't she trust me?" he was angry now, throwing his hands in the air. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. We have worked together for over a year now and," He turned back toward Marinette, "It's like she doesn't trust me at all." He was yelling now. Marinette had shrunk back at his angered voice. she stumbled back onto the patio table behind her, using a hand to support herself. She had never seen him this angry before, this night was just full of firsts. There was that pain in her chest again. Had she really hurt this kitty that bad?

Chat realized that he had been yelling at Marinette and suddenly pulled. "Oh My Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take my frustration out on you, I just…" the cat went silent.

"It's fine, sometimes we just need to vent." She replied softly. She knew exactly how he felt. "God knows I vented to Alya about Adrien enough times." Chat's eyes went wide. Had she just said that out loud? "Did I just say that out loud?" she felt her face grow warm. Good thing it was too dark out to see her cheeks redden.

"So that's the guy you like, Huh princess?" Chat teased easing back to his old flirtatious self. "Who is this Adrien guy anyway?" Marinette no longer felt a pain in her chest because it had been replaced with a lump in her throat.

….

Adrien –Chat

"Who is this Adrien guy anyway?" Chat feigned ignorance. _I'm that Adrien guy,_ he thought. He, of course knew who Adrien was because it was him. And he had known Marinette liked him for a while. But he only had feelings for Ladybug and leading Marinette on would just be cruel. But as Chat, they were just good friends.

He noticed that Marinette had grown a bright shade of red that even the night couldn't hide. So he thought he would help her out a little.

"Wait, you don't mean Adrien like Adrien Agreste the famous model?" he 'guessed'. Marinette stayed silent and looked away. _Okay, I guess I've got to make it easier_. "Come on, I told you all about my crush on Ladybug just now. So it's only fair that you tell me about this boy of yours."

"You actually didn't tell me about your crush. You just yelled at me because she didn't trust you. And he isn't my boy" She retorted quietly. Wow, he had never seen her be so snappy around him, well except towards Chloe.

"You are right my princess." He said nonchalantly, "So let me clear things up." He leaned towards her, causing her to stumble back against the patio table more. "I am completely and totally in love with The Miraculous Ladybug. She is everything to me. She is the bravest, kindest, most beautiful thing to ever happen to me." Realizing he was so close he backed up a bit. But now that he was talking about ladybug he couldn't stop. "She is what I fight for and who I fight to protect. She makes me," he paused, the words he had never spoken before were about to just fall out of his mouth, "She makes me something worthwhile, she gives me purpose." The words stood on their own in the space between them. He had never told anyone that. He had never had anyone to tell that to.

They stood there quiet or a moment and then suddenly Marinette spoke.

"Yes." She paused for a moment but when Chat didn't say anything she continued, "Yes I do love Adrien Agreste. Yes the very same Adrien Agreste who is a model. We are classmates and I have always loved him. He is kind and everyone loves him. He is never cruel, even to people like Chloe Bourgeois, who is putting Hawkmoth out of a job." Chat snickered at that last comment. "He has never been cruel to me or called me weird even though all I do is make inaudible noises at him. He never lets on how sad he has been since he lost his mom or how much his dad forgets about him and bails all the time. He is so strong even though life has thrown so much at him. He makes me want to be strong." She finished.

Now it was Chat's turn to blush, but luckily his mask covered most of his face. He had no idea she knew so much about him. Especially the part about his dad always being a no show. He had only told Nino about that.

"Wow, it felt so nice to say all of that." She breathed a sigh of relief, finally breaking the silence. "I don't think I have ever said that to anyone. I mean Alya knows most of it but she has never heard the full spiel. I was always afraid she would think I was some crazy stalker or something. But after you so unashamedly declared your love for Ladybug to me, I knew I could too."

"Well at least you have Aliya. That's the first time I have told anyone. First time I'd been able too. I can't really tell any of my friends. I mean how bizarre would that sound. 'Hey buddy I got to tell you that I am crazy in love with Ladybug. Yeah the super hero. Well of course I know her. I know her better than anyone else because I'm also secretly her crime fighting partner Chat Noir' yes I am so sure that would go over so well." He mocked, making Marinette laugh. He was glad he could make her laugh after he had yelled at her.

"Well now you've got me." She said between laughs. This caused Chat to stop. He looked down at this girl from his class. She was now sitting on the table he had back her against. Could he really trust this girl to be his confidant? Wouldn't that be cruel if he was in fact the boy she was in love with?

"Do you really mean that?" He asked, to see what she would say.

"Yeah of course. Like I said, everyone needs someone to talk to. So you can talk to me about Ladybug when you need to vent. Just text me or call and I let you know when I'm free to talk." This girl was so great. She probably have a heart attack if she knew that she had just offered to be Adrien Agreste's Confidant.

"Okay, and you can talk to me about Adrien anytime you want as well. You know, to make it even." He could handle hearing Marinette talk good and bad about him if that meant he would actually have someone other than Plagg to talk about Ladybug to.

She smiled and nodded. Her freckles seemed to reflect the city lights like stars on her cheeks.

"Well princess, I better be off. Got things to do tomorrow. You better get to bed or else you'll be late for class in the morning." He said, thinking about how she was almost always late for class. No wonder she was always late if she stayed up like this every night.

"Your right Chat. I better go back to bed," then she turned and went down the stairs into her room.

Chat leapt off into the night. He still felt bad about how he had yelled at Marinette. He was just frustrated with the fact that he had used such a harsh tone with ladybug right before she left.

He knew exactly why she wouldn't tell him. She wanted to keep her family and friends safe. And that's why she insisted he didn't tell her, because she wanted to keep him safe. But she is the only thing he's got. Marinette wasn't wrong when she said how alone he was, even if she didn't know she was talking about him. He stopped for a moment beneath the Eiffel Tower, the lights had been turned off for the evening so it was dark. Chat hid well under the cover of the tower, letting his thoughts consume him.

He knew she trusted him. But Chat only had Ladybug. As Adrien he was just a pampered prince who could only do what he was told and be what everyone else wanted. But because of Ladybug, because of being Chat Noir, he was able to do something and be someone he could like, someone worth being. Not this fake prince that everyone saw as perfect and always happy. _Well not everyone, Marinette saw through my facade_ Chat thought with a sigh. How had she noticed all those things about him but not noticed that he was Chat Noir. He chuckled at the idea of her finding out that her daily crush was also her late night confidant.

After pacing beneath the Tower for what seemed like hours but was actually only a few minutes, Chat finally made his way back home. He transformed back and walked through the front door. His dad wouldn't be home. He rarely ever was.

Adrien moved through the halls of his house until he found his room and then collapsed in his bed. For the first time in a while, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Getting to talk about ladybug with an actual human person. He still had to do it as Chat and not himself but in a way Chat was his self, his real self anyway. Then he rolled over kicking off his shoes.

"I wonder if Marinette will be late tomorrow?" he said and then drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chat Noir

"I can't believe her sometimes, it like she thinks she owns Adrien. I don't even know why Adrien bothers with her," Marinette spat at Chat. Earlier that day in class Chloe had shoved Marinette away from him when they were discussing their movies plans with Nino and Alya next weekend. Alya had of coursed been the reason why the date was set up in the first place. She had pushed Marinette into Adrien to try and get her to talk to him.

"And of course I was too embarrassed to anything but stutter." Her brows furrowed as she walked back and forth across the small roof top terrace. Chat sat perched on the railing and looked at the grumpy fifteen year-old.

"Come now," Chat said hopping down walking towards her, "Think about it, Chloe's dad is the mayor. Adrien's dad is a big shot fashion designer. I bet it isn't hard to imagine Chloe's dad nuzzling up to Adrien's in order to get a good name. You said so yourself, Adrien is almost always alone. Maybe for him having a cruel friend is better than having no friend," Chat explained placing a hand on her shoulder for moment reassuringly.

It had been a few days since the two of them had been doing this, seeing each other in the night, talking about their heartaches. This particular evening they had met a little early, mostly because Chat knew how upset Marinette was from earlier and was waiting her for her after fencing practice.

"Yeah maybe, but now he has Nino and Alya and…"She stopped as her cheeks turned rosy.

"And you?" Chat questioned. He knew he had them but he couldn't help but feel bad for Chloe. She was what he would've become if he hadn't become Chat Noir and met Lady Bug.

"Well yeah," she pouted, muttering beneath her breath. She had puffed her cheeks and turned away from Chat. Chat leaned in towards her, grabbing her cheeks and pulling her face inches from his.

"Does he know that princess?" Her face reddened even more at his question. Or was it the fact that they were inches apart. Chat really couldn't be sure but it made him grin to see Marinette so flustered around him as Chat. Adrien made her fluster like this all the time but she was so comfortable around Chat that these circumstances were quite the rarity.

"Chat y-you're too close." Marinette stuttered out, her eyes staring up at him. Something about her eyes seemed familiar. Where had he'd seen these eyes before. "Chat!" Marinette said, her voice raised a little. He snapped out of his thoughts and jumped back a bit.

"Sorry princess, I just got lost in your eyes," he said, partly telling the truth. Marinette rolled her eyes at him in response. There it was again, something nagging at the back of his thoughts, something familiar about the way she rolled her eyes at him. But before he could work it out, sirens were blaring behind.

The two raced to the railing, leaning over the edge at the noise. They watched as a multitude of police cars drove up the street toward the Eiffel tower. Just then Marinette's phone began to ring. Marinette looked down quizzically at her phone.

"Hello…" Marinette answered the phone, she mouthed, 'it's Alya' to Chat and then moved a finger to her lips, signaling for Chat to be quiet as she put it on speaker phone.

"Marinette, girl, you'll never guess what happened. I was out with Nino when suddenly a villain attacked. The police are here now and have evacuated the mall but the baddie is still causing havoc and chaos. And we are right here! I can see everything. When ladybug and Chat Noir get here, I'll get everything for my Ladyblog," There was a crashing noise in the back ground followed by a few screams, "Well I better go girl before they get here or else I miss it all," and then there was a click. Marinette and Chat just sat there in shock, taking it all in.

"Well that's my mew to leave Princess. It's best that you stay inside where it's safe, just in case," Chat finally said. Then with one swift motion, Chat pulled out his staff and poll vaulted off the terrace and onto the neighboring roof. He left Marinette behind and hurried off towards the mall. _But the mall is three blocks to the left of the Eiffel Tower but then why were the police headed that way?_

Chat's thoughts whirred as he bounded the rooftops towards the mall. When he arrived, Ladybug was nowhere in sight. But the akumatized villain was.

A green and purple man stood in the middle of the mall's ground floor on the top of the pretzel kiosk. Chat took the high ground from the top floor in order to observe the villain. Crouching behind on of his father's sign's, he watched as a few policemen advanced toward the villain.

"I am the cloth maker, and no one will ever insult my designs again!" the green and purple man yelled as the policeman charged him. With a flick of his wrist, The Cloth Maker called two huge rolls of fabric to his side. Then with lightning speed he pulled out golden shears and cut the fabric into different shapes and sizes. Finally the fabric shapes flew over to the cops and fit together around the officer, giving each on a brand new brightly colored dress, then the dresses squeezed the police tightly and dragged them to the wall where they were rendered powerless.

"Wow," Chat muttered, "Talk about killer fashion, looks like Marinette's type of villain."

"Marinette who?" A voice said from behind. Chat jumped back to see Ladybug right behind him.

"Oh u-um, she's that girl you had me work with when the Evillustrator attacked. She's um, ah, she's a clothing designer." Chat stuttered, his face turning red. Ladybug smiled at him, which of course made him blush a little more. Something about this girl always made him lose his train of thought.

"So that's this guy's motif huh, dress designer?" Ladybug said changing the subject. She moved her eyes back down toward the Cloth Maker.

"Yeah, it looks like those golden shears are the akuma Item, if we can get those, we can wrap this up before he wraps us up," Chat presented the idea, but then he remembered something. "Hey My lady, on my way here I noticed that there cop cars heading towards the Eiffel Tower." Ladybug's brows furrowed.

"You're right, I remember seeing that as well, but that's three blocks away" she muttered in response not taking her eyes off the Cloth Maker. Her eyebrows furrowed even more as she tried to work it out. Chat looked at the hero in front of him. She was so amazing that he couldn't believe that she was his partner. He looked at her furrowed brow and it seemed somewhat familiar. Where had he seen it before?

But then he realized something, "My lady, if you saw the police going that way then why are you here?"

Ladybug's eyes widened almost like panic, then she turned toward Chat, "I could ask you the same thing Chat. Either way it doesn't matter, we need to stop The Cloth Maker so we can head over to the tower before any more people get hurt." Wow, she sure turned that back on him fast. But she was right, if they wanted to keep people safe, they would need to stay focused.

"Alright then," Chat nodded his head, "What's the plan?" Ladybug looked around.

"Since his weapon is scissors, I need to be precise or he could cut my yoyo's string. You distract him with your staff, then follow my lead." Ladybug jumped up and leaped off the second floor ledge towards the villain.

"Absolutely, My lady," Chat said, following her blindly. He pulled out his staff and it extended in length. "Hey Cloth Maker, I need a dress for my lady here, think you could make something up in red?" Chat shouted catching The Cloth Maker's attention as he landed on his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lady roll her eyes as she snuck around the back of the pretzel kiosk.

"Who is this? Mocking my designs are you?" Turning towards Chat, The Cloth Maker smiled.

"Well not to be rude but I have seen some pretty bad designs, but nothing can really top that. I mean floral green with bright pink sequins, how could you have ever thought that was a good idea?"

"Don't be so smug pussy cat, you'll be the one who wears this dress and then no one will stop me," Then he cut the atrocious fabric choice and sent it toward Chat. Jumping on his staff, Chat tried to dodge it but to no avail. The putrid sundress rapped around the cat tightly, binding him to wall with the other policemen. His hands trapped in the sundresses pockets.

But not before Ladybug knocked the Cloth Maker's scissors to the ground with her yoyo and snatched it up. Chat watched as his love was about to break the scissors when she was interrupted.

"Up bup pup, I wouldn't do that if I were you," The Cloth Maker scolded. Chat, still tied up, and Lady looked at each other and the back at the seamster.

"Why not?" Lady asked cautiously, gripping the scissors tightly in her hands.

"Only my scissors can cut my magic cloth, that was Hawk Moth's gift to me."

"But once I break them, your cloth won't be magic anymore, Chat and the others will be set free."

"Yes, that is true," The Cloth Maker said as his grin grew more sinister, "But the other one's akuma is trapped in my magic fabric."

"The other one?" Chat said out loud and then it snapped. Someone had insulted his clothing, which ad akumatized him, but if he had ruined a dress for an important event, that person must have been akumatized as well.

"The Eiffel Tower," Lady and Chat said simultaneously.

Then Chat saw it, the panic on Ladybug's face. She couldn't beat two baddies on her own, no matter how great she was. But he had gotten himself stuck and she could only free him if they broke the scissors. But if she freed him, there was no guarantee that they could stop the other baddie without them.

He watched all of these thoughts go through his Lady's eyes as the panic on her face became more and more apparent. He had been so stupid getting himself caught. But he knew what he could do now.

"My Lady, don't worry about me. You can do this on your own, I know you can. I believe in you. I'll get out and join you as soon as I can. You get out of here and to the Eiffel Tower. Then you deal with the villains the best you can using that big buggy brain of yours." He smiled as he shouted at her, reassuring her of what to do.

Ladybug suddenly regained focus, and smiled, nodding at Chat. Chat wondered if she had seen the doubt I his eyes, but he had only seen renewed hope in her eyes. She then tossed her yoyo up and swung out the sky light off toward the Eiffel Tower. The Cloth Maker looked at Chat for a moment followed by a laugh and then trailed after Ladybug.

"Ok Chat, How are we gonna get out of this?" He said to himself.

He had Cataclysm, but if that didn't work he would de-transform in front of all these cops and civilians. If it did work, he could get out and de-transform and run as Adrien to the tower which would give Plagg the time to refuel. But he'd have to hurry and transform back or he might not make it in time to help Ladybug. In the end he really only had one choice, he had to use cataclysm.

"Alright here it goes," He turned his hand in the dress's pocket, trying to clench the fabric, then once he grabbed what he thought as enough in his hand he yelled, "Cataclysm!" and pulled at the cloth as hard he could. The loth around his hand began to fray and wither, ripping more and more as he pulled. Finally he pulled enough and he was free. He feel to the ground, unreasonably exhausted. It then occurred to him that as he was struggling the dress had been growing tighter and that was why it had seemed so hard.

His ring's beep brought him back to reality as he caught his breath. He then jumped through the skylight onto the roof and then back onto the street. Looking around, he hid behind a dumpster and transformed back into Adrien. He immediately handed Plagg some Cheese and started running toward the Eiffel Tower.

Being Adrien meant that he couldn't travel by rooftop which meant he would take longer. "Hey Plagg, would you mind telling me the second you can transform back,"

"Sure Adrien, No problem" the little kwami said from inside Adrien's shirt. Adrien nodded and started running faster.

Finally he made it to the tower square. There he saw Ladybug and the two villains. Adrien recognized The Cloth Maker but the second villain must've been the women whose dress he'd messed up because it was a women in an awful gaudy yellow floral wedding dress, well that's what it looked like anyway.

"Adrien I'm good to go," Plagg Said.

"Good. Okay Plagg Claws Out," Adrien said, transforming back as his kwami was pulled into his miraculous. He was Chat Noir again and he was ready to kick butt.

Just then he saw that Ladybug had been knocked to the ground by the villains. The Cloth Maker had his shears back. But Just as they were about to attack, he jumped in front of them stretching his arms out to protect ladybug and for some reason they stopped before they could hit him.

"Chat you made it," Ladybug barely muttered out. He grinned back at her.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, My Lady," He whispered. The he noticed a small cut on the lady's cheek and a flame of anger grew inside him. He turned toward the two villains. Just as he was about to rip them to shreds for hurting her, he thought of something else.

Chat lowered his arms and relaxed a bit. "Why are you fighting us?" he asked. "We aren't the ones you are mad at are we?" The villains lowered their weapons for a moment. Chat turned toward the Cloth Maker.

"Isn't she the one who insulted your work, who mocked your masterpiece?" Then turned toward bridezilla, "And you, didn't he ruin your wedding dress, wasn't it him that ruined your big day with it that atrocity?" The villains both turned and faced one another, hearing the truth in Chat's words.

"He's right, you ruined my wedding!" the bride of doom shrieked.

"And you're the one who mocked my designs," shouted The Cloth Maker.

Then the two were at it. They were fighting all across the square. The nightmare queen leapt up into the air and dived onto the Cloth Maker. Chat watched for a moment and then turned back toward Ladybug.

He knelt down and held out his hand, "My Lady," He said with a cheeky grin. She grabbed his hand and smiled at his name for her. He pulled her up so that she was sitting up right. "Are you all right?" Chat asked, his voice full of genuine concern.

"Yes silly kitty, Just a few cat scratches, but nothing to bug out over,' She was trying to make him not worry and he could tell. He stood up and pulled her with him. She stumbled a bit, leaning on him for support.

The duo turned toward the villains who were still battling it out in front of them. "We better Take care of that," Ladybug said as she tried to stand on her own. Chat kept a hand on her back to support her. She finally stood by herself but Chat's hand hovered in the air behind her just in case.

"Okay Cloth Maker and Bridal Mistake, Prepare to go down," Ladybug shouted as she whirled her yoyo. The two villains turned back towards the heroic duo. Hawkmoth must've said something to them because they both suddenly remembered that they were supposed to be getting the miraculous and charged toward the two heroes.

Chat moved fast, extending his staff, tripping Cloth Maker who had been running towards him. Cloth makers scissors fell out of his hands and onto the ground.

"Lady Now!" Chat shouted. Ladybug whipped her yoyo at the shears, snatching them to her. Just as she got a hold of them the Bridal Mistake was coming at her. She opened the scissors, cutting through the floral bridal gown. Then she broke the scissors over her knee.

 _In swear that knees made of metal or something_ Chat thought as the two Akuma swirled around each other and into the air.

"Time to Purify," Ladybug said as she spun her Yoyo, capturing and cleaning the butterflies. "Goodbye little butterflies."

"Good work," They both said with a fist bump. Then ladybug fell forwards into Chat's arms, exhausted from the minor beating. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Silly kitty, you're the one who gave me a reason to fight this time." She mumbled and then passed she passed out

…


	3. Chapter 3

Ladybug-Marinette

Ladybug's eyes fluttered open only to meet darkness. She shot straight up in panic, relief flooded over her when she realized she was still in the suit and mask. Good, that means Chat hadn't seen me as Marinette. Panic seized her again when she realized that she didn't know where she was.

"Oh I'm glad to see you're awake," a familiar voice said for out of her field of vision, she turned to the source and nearly screamed when she saw Adrien standing there. As she looked around she realized that she must be in Adrien's house, more specifically his room. I can't believe I am in his room, Eeeeehh. Okay Marinette act cool your Ladybug remember.

"How did I get here, where am I?" Ladybug asked quietly though she was screaming on the inside, who cares we are in Adrien's room with Adrien.

"Oh um, about, that. Um, Chat Noir brought you by. He said you got hurt real bad and needed to rest. He asked if you could rest here until you got better. He wished he could stay but he had to go and make sure everyone got free. Without using Lucky Charm, A lot of the stuff didn't get cleaned up like usual." Adrien explained while pressing a cold compress to her forehead, his soft touch seemed oddly familiar and kind.

"Oh, I didn't know you two were friends," Ladybug mumbled, trying not to die from embarrassment at how close he was to her.

"We are more like acquaintances, but he does trust me enough to leave the love of his life in my care," Adrien said nonchalantly while turned away to get more cold water for the compress. Ladybug didn't know how to respond to that. She knew Chat liked her, but love was a strong word. However she was not going to debate that with Adrien at the moment.

He squeezed the rag out as the dark room filled with silence. Ladybug suddenly wondered what time it was. She went to pull out her yoyo which was also a pone so she could check the time when there a sharp pain in her right arm.

"Slow down Ladybug, Chat said you bruised your arm pretty bad in the fight. You should take it easy and just ask if you need anything." Adrien said with a smile.

"Well then could you tell me the time?" She managed to ask.

"It is almost four a.m.," He replied with a whisper. Ladybug's eyes went wide. Four a.m.! That explained the bags under Adrien's eyes and why everything was so quiet outside. She sat up slowly, Adrien quickly at her side, his hand hovering just above her back. Strange, she thought, that seems really familiar. She looked over at the boy from her class, the one she loved. But he didn't love her. He loved ladybug, everyone loved Ladybug. Even Alya, her best friend, preferred Ladybug to Marinette. Ladybug let her thoughts wonder a bit until she was ready to leave.

"Hey could you help me up, I need to get home before I noticed missing?" She asked Adrien.

"Sure, of course, absolutely, "Adrien seemed to scatter to his feet in order to help Ladybug up. He led her to the window, "Are you sure you're alright to leave?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's not too far and I'm not hurt that bad," She lied. But she knew she couldn't stay and let Adrien find out who she was when she missed class tomorrow. So she thanked him for his care and turned to leave.

"Wait," Adrien said grabbing her forearm, "Um, you know Chat, He really cares about you." His grip on her loosened just like Chat's had that night.

"Yeah, I know. Trust me I know, but there's someone else in my heart," She placed a hand on the window sill, gently pulling her arm from Adrien's grasp. She flashed a sad grin at the boy she loved and leapt out the window.

Swinging back to her house, she could still feel Adrien's hand on her arm. Why did he care about what Chat felt for her if they were just acquaintances? It hadn't taken Chat long to get comfortable talking to Marinette about his feelings, but then what was that about him not telling anyone how he felt, about not being able to talk to anyone. Who knows, maybe Adrien could just tell how much Chat loved her.

Ladybug finally made it back to the balcony and down into her room. She transformed back into Marinette and let out a sigh of relief. Tikki materialized in front of her just as bouncy and happy as ever. Marinette climbed into her bed and closed her eyes.

"Wow Marinette," Tikki exclaimed, "I can't believe you were just in Adrien's house without freaking out." Marinette rolled her eyes as she plopped onto her bed. Everything ached and the pain wouldn't go away.

"You know what Tikki, I can't believe you're even remotely energized after the night we've had." Marinette motioned her hand in a circular motion above her to emphasize her point.

"Well it helps that you didn't use lucky charm. But not using Lucky charm can have some serious consequences. For example, you are not going to heal as fast as you normally do, so you'll need to be careful."

"Why not, How come I won't heal as fast?" Marinette asked almost sitting up, but then she remembered her pain and voted against it. Tikki flew up to Marinette to explain.

"Well when you use lucky charm, it gathers all the good luck in the area in order to give you a device that will help you defeat the villains. Most importantly however is that it also uses an excessive amount of your own good luck. So when you dispel the object to fix everything, it not only returns the good luck back to the surroundings but gives the good luck back to you. This excessive amount of good luck then in return helps your body heal faster and rejuvenates your strength.

"Chat noir's Cataclysm works in a similar way. It takes all the bad luck from his body and from his surroundings and then allows him to focus all that negative energy on a specific object such as bars or gates. Since all the bad luck from his body has been expelled and transferred to something else, he can heal faster and maintain his strength for his next transformation."

"Wow Tikki, I never knew that. I promise to be more careful next time. But for now I just want some sleep," Marinette said flopping her head back onto the pillow.

"Well then don't look now but Chat Noir is sitting up on the terrace," Tikki whispered.

"What?" Marinette shot up, "Oww," She cringed. Everything was bruised, everything ached.

"Well go tell him that I'm asleep," She said half-jokingly.

"If I do he'll know that you're Ladybug Marinette." Tikki scolded.

"Yes, because my extreme amount of bruises definitely won't tip him off to that little fact." Marinette whispered angrily.

"Then just pretend to be asleep," Tikki whispered back, "I told you that meeting Chat like this would be too risky."

"Fine. You were right. But I can't just leave him out there."

"Yes you can, because it'll be more suspicious if he sees you wide awake at this time." Tikki argued. Marinette scowled but then resigned to Tikki's argument. Just then, there was a small tapping on the terrace entrance window.

Marinette let out a small peep and flopped back down into her bed as Tikki scurried to the diary box, locking herself in. They listened as the soft tapping was followed by the sound of the window being eased open. _I can't believe I forgot to lock it_ , Marinette silently cursed herself.

"Psst, Marinette, Are you up?" She heard Chat's voice whisper from the rooftop window. The she heard a light thump on her bedroom floor. Was Chat in her room? _What is he doing, why doesn't he just leave._

"Well if she is asleep, then there's no harm in just looking around," The cat whispered to himself.

 _Yes. Yes there is. You stupid Cat, get out of my room._ Marinette was seething as she tried to sneak a peek at the mongrel in her room. She saw Chat looking at her desk the posters on the wall while slowly walking around the room. One of the pictures on her wall caught his eye, causing him to pause for a moment.

She heard the cat let out a small chuckle as he leaned in closer to look at the picture, "Hey I remember this one. Man is it old though?" he gently tapped the photo with his index finger and grinned. But then his grin faded.

Chat moved back toward to latter placing his hands on the sides. He paused as he was about exit and turned back toward Marinette's bed. He didn't say anything but he just stared at the bed. _Does he know I'm not awake?_ Marinette thought from under her covers. He seemed to be staring directly at her but he couldn't possibly believe she was awake, could he? But then he broke the silence.

"You got what you wanted princess, My lady doesn't love me," He sighed, turned away and climbed up the latter.

Minutes passed as Marinette waited to make sure he was gone. Then she jumped down from her bed and ran to let Tikki out of the diary box.

"Marinette what was he talking about," The kwami asked, flying out of the box up to Marinette. pictures of Adrien. In fact it was the very first one she had gotten because it was the first one Adrien had taken that had been put in a magazine. He was a little younger and a little awkward in front of the camera.

What had Chat meant about remembering this picture though? Did he and Adrien really know each other that well? And what had he meant about her getting what she wanted? Chat knew that she loved Adrien and only Adrien. So why would she be happy if Chat wasn't loved by Ladybug.

"Marinette, Marinette, Mar-i-nette," Tikki had been repeating her name for a few minutes before she actually caught her attention.

"Wa- What is it Tikki?" Marinette blinked back into focus. She turned toward the little red creature, the bags under her eyes had become very apparent.

"Marinette I think you need to go to bed," Tikki suggested, pulling on the sleeve of her shirt.

"You're right Tikki," Marinette nodded. She could feel the wear and tear from that day really start to take effect.

…

The next morning Marinette's bruises had healed enough that she could go to school. They hadn't healed a lot but enough to be manageable. The cut on her face had scabbed over nicely so she covered it up with some skin toned base. She couldn't risk Adrien seeing it and knowing it was the same scar Ladybug had last night. That would out her for sure.

After making it to school, Marinette settled into her seat, placing a hand over her eyes. Even the light hurt her eyes. She watched Adrien stumble in, the bags under his eyes from the previous night were still there. Marinette felt bad but was thankful that Chat had trusted Adrien enough to leave her to his care.

Nino followed Adrien close behind, obviously more energized than his best friend, "Dude Last night was so exciting you should've seen it. Chat Noir was all tied up and Ladybug got all beat up, it was like of the hook bro." Marinette was stifling a laugh when there was a very loud and excited best friend talking to her.

"He's right Marinette, you should've seen it. Ladybug was barely able to stand from exhaustion. Then Chat Noir totally saved her and after they de-akumatized the villains, he carried her away after she fainted into his arm," Alya swooned, "Isn't that so romantic. He came to save her against all odds." Alya was all a flutter as she and the boys took their seats.

"Yeah, I'm real sorry I missed," Marinette said, trying to restrict the sarcasm in her voice. Alya smirked at her but then her eyes were on Adrien.

"Yeah it is too bad that you were the only one who missed out on the action," Alya said, her voice baited.

"What are you talking about," Nino turned around giving Alya a confused look, "Adrien wasn't there either Alya." Marinette watched Adrien tense up as all eyes moved to him. She had tensed up too, but thankfully nobody had noticed because they were all watching Adrien.

"Why don't you ask Adrien what I am talking about?" Alya purred with a devilish grin. _If I didn't know better, I'd think she was Chat Noir,_ Marinette pondered as she watched Adrien squirm. If she lied for him, Adrien would question why she had done it, and then she would either have to tell him the truth or half lie about how she met with Chat every night. So instead she watched.

Adrien turned around slowly to face them. "What do you mean Alya?" He asked, his poker face failing him.

"Well last night I followed Chat Noir after he carried Ladybug off and do you know here he took her Adrien?" Alya leaned forward, almost leaping out of her seat. Adrien, visibly perspiring, glanced around nervously.

"Um no, Alya, Where did you see her taken?" Adrien answered nervously.

"I saw him take her to your mansion. Then a few hours later I saw her leave. But I never saw him leave. Would you care to explain Adrien?" Alya squinted at the boy under her thumb.

"Oh that, well, um. You see," Adrien gestured a hand forward, "Chat Noir needed a place to keep Ladybug while she rested. Then when she was rested she left. He saw that you were following him and so I showed him a secret way out so that you wouldn't see him as he left to go clean things up."

 _Wow, he was real fast on his feet,_ Marinette thought. She was quite impressed with the boy she loved and his ability to think fast. It was definitely a quite alluring quality, but it wasn't the first time she had seen someone think so fast on their feet. Chat had been just that clever last night when he had rescued her. _Heh, maybe they do have more in common_ , Marinette thought, then she stopped. She looked up at Adrien's face as he explained the situation as he had explained it last night, give or take a few details.

"So you're saying that you know Chat Noir personally?" Alya was out of her seat. She wanted every detail of Chat and Adrien's relationship. He insisted they were just acquaintances but there was no stopping her once she thought she had a scoop.

The teacher came in, causing them to settle down in their seats. The rest of the day, Marinette tried not to fall asleep or let anyone see the bruises that she had covered up with base. She re-applied the concealer during the lunch break.

The sky started to fill with dark clouds as she was leaving so she grabbed an umbrella just in case. She walked back to school and couldn't help but think of how down Adrien had seemed all day.

"Maybe he was just tired," Marinette muttered to herself. Alya wasn't walking with her because she probably was waiting at the school so she could get more information out of Adrien. As a result Marinette had to walk back to school on her own but it gave her time to think.

There had been a lot of things in the past few days that she hadn't understood. Like how Chat knew Adrien. They had been talking for almost a week and he hadn't said anything about it. Then there was what Chat said last night. Never mind the fact that Adrien had told Chat that Ladybug loved someone else, in spite of it being Adrien, but he hadn't known that.

Then there was the way Adrien had been fast on his feet this morning just like how Chat had been fast on his feet pitting the two villains against each other last night. Then there was the fact that they were both strangely allergic to feathers. _But that could be a coincidence. Plenty of people have peanut allergies, I don't see why that's any different,_ Marinette thought.

"Heh, maybe they met at feather allergy anonymous," Marinette joked to herself out loud.

"What's feather allergy anonymous?" Said a voice from behind. "Do you think I could join?" The voice joked. Marinette turned around to see Adrien right behind her.

"Eeeh," Marinette jumped out of her skin, "A-A-Adrien. Uh-Uh, it's um, it doesn't exist," Marinette squeaked. Adrien moved beside Marinette, waling almost instep with her. Marinette felt her heart in her throat as the boy she liked grew closer to her.

"Aww, "Adrien made a pouty face, "What a shame, I know so few people with a feather allergy." The boy laughed a little at the idea of such a thing.

"But don't you know Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, a little confused.

"Oh yeah," Adrien shifted his walk nervously, "He does have a feather allergy too doesn't he?" Then Adrien's face showed confusion. "But how do you know that?" Marinette panicked for a second. She only knew that because she was Ladybug. But Adrien couldn't know that.

"Oh u-um well, you know, you're not the only one who knows Chat Noir," Marinette spat out speedily. _Crap, I hope Chat doesn't mind that I told Adrien._

"Then why didn't you stand up for me when Alya was giving me the twice over this morning?" Adrien gave Marinette a pointed look. The two teen stopped at the street corner near the school. Marinette looked up at Adrien indignantly.

"You saw how she reacted when she found out you just kind of knew Chat. Like a tiger on gazelle. Imagine how she'd react if she knew her best friend was meeting up with Chat Noir every night to talk…" Marinette halted. _Ohmygosh what is my problem, it's like I can't even think straight around this boy._

Adrien just snickered at the blank look on her face then he looked up at the darkening clouds.

"Here, can I use this," He said reaching for her Umbrella. Marinette handed it to him without question. She watched him open the umbrella above. Then suddenly he pulled her close.

"Adrien what are you…"

"It's going to rain, so I thought we should use your umbrella as we cross the street," Just as he said it started to rain. He pulled her even closer to make them fit underneath the small umbrella. Marinette's heart was pounding so loud she was sure Adrien could hear it.

The two waited to make sure no cars were coming and then crossed the street. Every step was like heaven for Marinette. She breathed a slight sigh of relief when the rain started to pick up because that way it would at least drown out the sound of her heart trying to escape her chest. His arm was warm around her, guiding her across the street. It seemed like everything outside of the umbrella had vanished with the rain.

"So how'd did you meet Chat Noir?" Adrien's voice broke the spell as they reached the sidewalk in front of the school.

"You know that, I worked with him to stop The Evillustrator remember."

"I mean why did you start to talk to him every night," Adrien stopped them right outside the front door of the school. He turned toward her, inches from her face. Marinette could feel her face redden.

"Because he's a friend who needed help, who needed someone to listen to him," Marinette said the words so quietly that she had barely even heard them over the throbbing of her heart in her ears. He was so close that she could smell his cologne. His eyes grew heavy before hers, full of sadness, but he never stopped looking at her.

"And if I needed someone to listen to me?" Adrien spoke the words just barely above a whisper, hardly audible over the rain.

"Marinette!" They turned toward the sound of Alya's voice at the top of the school steps. Through the hazy rain, they could see that a small audience had gathered at the top of the school's steps. There they saw Alya with wide eyes looking over at the duo. Marinette's eyes shot back at Adrien who had moved a little ways away from her. His eyes were casted away from her, sadness masked his face.

"We better go or we'll be late," was all Adrien said. He didn't even look at her, just led her up the stairs and into the building. He lowered and shook off the umbrella then handed it back to her. Then he walked off in the direction of the classroom.

Marinette stood there, her heart still throbbing, unable to get the look on Adrien's face out of her head. Alya walked up to Marinette, echoing her friends shock

"Oh my gosh girl, what was all that about?" Alya's voice was heard but at first wasn't acknowledged. Adrien had looked so hurt. He looked more hurt than when his dad didn't show up for the Father's Day picnic the school had held. Marinette heard Alya repeat the question a second time.

"I don't know." Marinette mumbled under her breath, her heart starting to swell for the boy she loved.


	4. Chapter 4

Chat-Adrien

Ever since he found out that Ladybug loved someone else, Adrien had felt like crap. It hadn't helped any that he had stayed up all night nursing Ladybugs wounds either. But what he couldn't get out of his head was the way Marinette had looked at him under the umbrella.

 _And if I needed someone to listen to me,_ the words he had whispered to Marinette under the cover of rain still hung on his lips as he walked home. The rain had let up by the end of the school day so Adrien was able to walk home without using an umbrella. It had been a good thing too because he had avoided Marinette for the rest of the day after he had said what he had to her. But the clouds still haunted the sky.

Adrien had been so confused over the last few days between being rejected by Ladybug and Marinette being kind to him as Chat. _And if I needed someone to listen to me, would it be you_ , is what he almost said before Alya had called out to Marinette. Marinette had told him when he was Chat that Adrien had her along with the rest of his friends. But he still couldn't go to them with his love problems and he couldn't go to Marinette unless he was Chat but that wasn't the same.

Then there was what Ladybug had said to him last night when she had fainted _. Silly kitty, you're the one who gave me a reason to fight this time_. He had said something similar to Marinette when he told her about his feelings for Ladybug. He had said that Ladybug gave him strength.

 _Did Marinette tell Ladybug what I had said,_ Adrien thought as he walked up the steps to his house. He walked in, pondering the fact that she probably did know Ladybug. Ladybug was the one who had told him to work with Marinette that one time. As he was lost in thought, Adrien continued up to his room. He walked in to find a note on his desk that said all of his photo shoots had been canceled due to the rain.

Plagg floated out of his pocket and into the air. The kwami gave his hero a strange look but figured it was another one of his human emotional things that he knew nothing about and cared very little for.

Adrien paced the room, still wondering if Marinette had actually told Ladybug. After some thought he made a decision to just confront her about it. He turned towards the kwami calling for a transformation. Once he was Chat Noir, he went towards the window to leave when he remembered that Alya may be watching. Silently cursing under his breath, he turned and left the room.

With very little chance of being caught by his dad or Natalie, he snuck through the halls and to a guest room towards the back to the mansion. It would take him longer to get to Marinette if he left from this side of the building but he couldn't risk Alya figuring out he was Chat Noir. He leapt out the window and headed off toward Marinette's.

Chat finally reached the small rooftop terrace, perching himself on the railing. He remembered being there the night before. He had just found out about Ladybug's love for another and had wanted to ask Marinette what to do. He knew it was foolish to think she would be awake but he hoped she might be. When she wasn't, he noticed that her window entrance hadn't been latched so he helped himself. Seeing some of his modeling photos made him remember Marinette's crush. He then realized that if Ladybug loved another he would have to respect that and then Marinette would have no competition for his affection. Well Adrien's affection that is. Realizing this, he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to her as Chat until he had figured it all out.

He had thought that as Adrien, he could show some kindness, maybe even some interest, in order to see if his heart could move on past Ladybug. But when he looked into Marinette's eyes under that umbrella, something about them reminded him of the way Ladybug had looked at him when had been captured by the cloth maker the previous night. They were full of concern for him. It had been the other reason he had paused his question. He couldn't look away from her eyes.

"Chat, what are doing here?" Marinette's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see the girl standing at the top of her latter, only her head visible. She climbed up the rest of the way coming into view. Chat noticed that it took her a bit longer to get up the steps, almost like it hurt her, but he never saw her wince. Maybe he was just imagining it.

"It's about to rain, if you're out here when it starts you could get a cold," Marinette scolded the cat. At first he had no response, as if he couldn't speak. Then he flashed a grin at her.

"Don't worry princess, we've got a few minutes before it rains, plus I could always wait out the storm in your room," he raised his eyes playfully. She rolled her eyes and chord was struck in his chest.

"How do you know when it's going to rain?" she teased.

"Animal instinct," he winked, "Cats can almost always tell when it's going to rain." He was back to himself for a moment. The fun and flirty Chat who loved to banter back and forth with Marinette.

"That's so strange because today Adrien knew exactly when it was going to rain as well," and there it was, she was talking about Adrien. It made sense, those were the original terms of their arrangement but for some reason it irked Chat to hear her mention his other self. "A trick, no doubt, he learned from you," she turned to Chat suspiciously.

"What?" he said, honestly confused for a moment.

"Oh don't play coy, I know you and Adrien are acquaintances. Why didn't you say anything, it must've been dreadful hearing me rant about a friend of yours." Her face was full of pity now. Had this girl really believed that clever lie?

"I didn't think it was purr-tinent," he leaned forward, "besides as if your one to talk. You're the one who kept it secret that you were close friends with Ladybug. Even worse, you told what I had said to you that first night. What I had never told anyone," Chat's voice raised a little as he swelled with anger. He hadn't meant to accuse her but here he was, angry and shouting. "At least I never told Adrien what you said about him or all those other things you've said," _because you told him yourself,_ he wanted to say.

Marinette looked at him with those eyes again, full of concern. He knew he really wasn't angry at her and he could see in her eyes that she knew it. But he also saw a hint of guilt there too.

"Chat I didn't tell Ladybug. I would never betray your trust like that. I may have accidently let it slip to Adrien that we see each other every night to talk but that was only after I knew he was your friend. I didn't even tell him why we talked either. Just that we did." She admitted. So that's why she looked guilty, because she thinks she spilled the secret of their meetings together. This almost made Chat laugh, cooling his anger.

"Don't worry, it's no big deal. I think he knew I was talking to someone else anyway." Chat lied.

"But if your friends with Adrien then why didn't you talk to him about Ladybug and all that," Marinette question. Chat froze for a moment, not sure how to answer. Then he remembered something.

"I said we were acquaintances, not friends. I don't know him well enough to talk to him about those type of things. Pus it's always nice to have things from a girl's perspective when you have a girl problem," Chat said scratching his head. It wasn't a lie, Adrien and Chat were two totally different people. That's why Marinette could've never guessed that they were the same person because they actually weren't, not really.

"But you trust him enough to leave the one you love in his care," Marinette said.

"Ladybug was hurt and his house was closest. I needed to know she was safe so I could go clean things up." He explained.

Man, Marinette sure was asking a lot of questions this evening. It was almost like she was trying to get a specific answer out of him. What was this quirky little girl looking to gain from the black cat? Then Chat remembered the other thing that he had wanted to tell Marinette.

"Hey Marinette," His voice instantly changed. His eyes cast down and his word heavy with sorrow. He heard Marinette shift her wait in response to the sudden mood change. She was silent waiting for his next words.

"I found out that Ladybug loves someone else," you could hear the heart break on his voice like scratches on a record. Marinette said nothing. He said nothing else. For a moment they just sat there in silence.

Then suddenly he felt a drop of rain land on his cheek. He had been so distracted that he had forgotten to tell Marinette to go inside. He looked up at her to warn her to go inside as a few more drops began to fall. That's when he noticed that some drops had fallen on her face as well.

The small drops trickled down her face, smearing what he assumed to be concealer. Chat hopped off the railing and walked toward her. He reached out to wipe the raindrops away, removing more concealer and revealing a healing cut.

"Chat, no," Marinette said two seconds too late, throwing a hand to cover the scar. Chat's hand however was in the way, still resting on her cheek. His eyes widened at the realization of what the cut was. The same cut had been on Ladybug's cheek when she had left his house.

"Marinette," He whispered, unable to do anything else. He wanted to say so much, but everything he wanted to say, he had told Marinette once or twice when he thought she was just Marinette. But now he knew who she really was. Marinette was his ladybug.

That explained the exhaustion during class, her constantly being late. That even explained why he had found her awake the night he followed Ladybug and why it took her a bit to get up the stair. Because it was her. She was his Ladybug.

Marinette's cheek brightened as Chat's gloved hand cupped her scratched cheek and pulled her toward him. He couldn't stop himself now that he knew the truth. He leaned forward, pulling her toward him. His other arm wrapped around her back as they were a breath apart. He brought her lips to his, pulling her into him. At first she was tense, but then he felt her relax in his embrace. She placed her hands against his chest for support as she leaned into the kiss. This resulted in him kissing her even more passionately, pulling her towards him a little more desperately.

This was her, the girl he loved. There was no doubt in his mind that it had been her all along. Ladybug and Marinette were one in the same. It had been so obvious that he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed sooner. But now that he knew it was her and now that he knew she loved him, even if it was just part of him, he couldn't let her go.

"Marinette," He spoke softly, pulling away from her. She looked up at him, her cheeks completely flushed. He realized something, "Would you like to have lunch with me at the Café up the street?" He watched her eyes widen as the question reached her ears. She blinked as the rain started to grow heavy. Then she just nodded, unable to speak.

"Good," He whispered, "meet me there during you school lunch break at 12:30. I'll be sitting at a table outside waiting for you." Then he moved his hand away from her face, a gentle smile finding its place on Chat's face. Marinette just stared at him as he backed up, approaching the terrace's edge.

With a two finger salute, Chat fell backwards off the edge of the terrace, disappearing into the rain. His heart now filled with a renewed sense of hope.

…..

Marinette

"I can't believe it," Marinette sat at her desk in shock. She wasn't sure which was more surprising: that she had just agreed to go out to lunch with Chat or that she had actually kissed Chat back.

"I know Marinette," Tikki sympathized, "I can't believe he figured it out either." Marinette looked up and blink for a moment.

"No, It isn't that" Marinette's face still a bright scarlet, "I think I just kissed Adrien. I think Chat and Adrien are the same person. And I just kissed him." Tikki's tiny kwami eyes widened in response to this suspicion of hers.

"What would make you think that Marinette?" Tikki asked slightly surprised. "They don't even act the same." _Man Tikki, priorities,_ Marinette thought.

"Exactly," Marinette said, slamming her fist into her palm.

"I don't see your point." Tikki looked at her hero with confusion.

"Think about it, Ladybug and I are the same person, but to someone who doesn't know that, we are completely different people. We are almost opposites even. I bet the same could be said about Chat and his alter ego." Marinette reclined back into her desk chair and let out a deep sigh.

She interlocked her fingers, placing them over her eyes. How was she supposed to respond to this? She was almost sure Chat was Adrien that Adrien was Chat. The way they both looked at her that day. They held the exact same pain in their eyes, they both looked at her as if she was the only thing keeping them from breaking. They both were allergic to feathers and they both had grabbed ladybug with the same delicate yet passionate hand. The grasp of a man at his wits end.

They seemed so different before, but now she saw the similarities. The look on Adrien's face when he lied to Alya was the same look when Chat had told her that he and Adrien were just acquaintances. The way to two could think on their feet and invaded her personal space.

But the one thing Marinette couldn't figure out was how she felt. She had always loved Adrien, had always admired his strength through facing his difficult circumstances. And of course she respected Chat Noir. He was a noble and honorable hero and he had always had her back. Part of her had always felt a little bad about his unrequited feelings but maybe they weren't so unrequited.

But did she love and Adrien and Chat? If they were the same person, then that would mean she loved Chat as well. There was definitely something between her and Chat. There was no denying it after that kind of kiss. She knew she saw the same traits in Chat that she had noticed in Adrien and vice versa. But did that mean she loved the Adrien side of Chat more than the Chat side of Adrien or were they just two halves of the boy she had learned to love, two sides of the same coin?

"So what are you going to do about it Marinette?" Tikki asked, interrupting Marinette's "Are you still going to go to the lunch date?"

Marinette peeked from under her hands at the magical creature, "I told him I would, but I'm not going to say anything to Adrien at all. I want to see how he reacts to me tomorrow. I need to be sure it's him."

"And what if it is?" She asked Marinette.

"Don't worry Tikki," Marinette paused for a moment, and a Chat like grin appeared on her face. "I've got an idea."


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette-Ladybug

Marinette had never felt uncomfortable in the Ladybug suit. In fact she had always felt like the world was hers when she was in the suit. She felt strong and unstoppable in the suit as if nothing could shake her spirits. But as she stood atop the café roof, the suit seemed to be restricting her.

Earlier that day she had sat uncomfortable in class as well, waiting to see how Adrien would react to her. Would he act weird since they kissed or would he act as if nothing happened? Marinette was sure Adrien was Chat, but she wanted to see how Adrien reacted for some reason.

But when Adrien had walked in that morning, he only glanced at her with a cheeky grin on his face. He didn't say a thing. He just sat down and paid attention in class. Then at the end of the school day, he was gone. Even Nino didn't know where he had gone.

So she had headed over to the café as Ladybug. She wanted to tell Chat that she was Ladybug. Since he already knew who she was, she thought it only fair to be completely honest with him. But she also wanted the confidence the suit gave her. She was so nervous that she was about to turn tail and run.

She had kissed Chat Noir back last night, and she had felt something there! Whether or not Chat was Adrien, she owed it to him to not only be honest but talk about what happened. There was obviously a spark, but if he wasn't Adrien, then she would have to consider the fact that that she might have feelings for both Adrien and Chat. Then she would have a choice to make. And in order to make that choice she needed the confidence and courage that the suit gave her

She looked over the empty chairs on the Café's patio, each of them empty. Should she go and wait at a table for him or stay here. Ladybug was somewhat of a celebrity so if she was seen waiting for someone, it might cause some unwanted attention. So she decided to wait on the café's roof until Chat arrived. She figured he would travel by rooftop as well so they just my end up at the same place.

"Sorry I made you my lady," A voice said from behind, Ladybug's heart leaping into her throat. She turned around fast, expecting Chat noir to be standing there. But who came into view was a much bigger shock. When Ladybug turned around, Adrien Agreste was the one to meet her eyes. Her eyes widened at the boy in front of her. He simply grinned at her, his green eyes full of indignation.

"I knew it," She whispered. His simple little smile widened into a full ear to ear grin. He walked towards her laughing.

"Oh you did, did you?" he pulled her close and she let him, "Then why did you show up as Ladybug?" His forehead touch hers as he looked into her eyes.

"Well," she said looking up into his eyes, "I knew it was you, but I thought you'd still come as Chat Noir and I thought Ladybug just looked better standing next to Chat Noir then…" she looked away from him, a sad smile on her face.

"…Better then Marinette?" he placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head so she could look at him. "Say it," he whispered to her. She looked up at him, her eyes widened. She knew what he meant, what he wanted her to say.

"Spots off Tikki," She said quietly as he held her in his arms. She closed her eyes as the golden light of magic appeared around her. She felt herself transform back into Marinette. But she didn't open her eyes to see where Tikki went, she just felt Adrien's grip tighten around her, pulling her closer. She was afraid that he wouldn't love her as Marinette, but even more so she didn't think 'Marinette' wasn't good enough. She didn't feel good enough for Adrien and she didn't deserve Chat Noir's affection after all the times she had turned him down as Ladybug.

"Marinette, open your eyes," She heard his voice whisper to her. Marinette's eyes fluttered open. She looked up into his emerald eyes, the same eyes that had watched over Lady night after night as Chat Noir and her fears vanished. She saw nothing but love in his eyes as she looked up at the boy. He had kissed her when she was Marinette and he, Chat Noir. He loved her for who she was, both Ladybug and Marinette, and she could see it in his eyes.

He must have seen the relief on her face because his smile softened. Marinette had never seen Adrien smile this much. It was so genuine, so pure. But then his look saddened and her heart ached for him.

"And what about Chat?" he asked, "Do you love him as well or do you only love Adrien?" his eyes lowered but he never loosened his grasp around her as they stood on the café rooftop.

Marinette saw her same fears now mirrored in the boy she loved. The same thoughts she had pondered earlier that day, she could see running across his forlorn eyes. She suddenly understood that the two were not so different.

Marinette reached upward, placing a hand on Adrien's cheek, "Adrien," She said his name with all the tenderness she possessed. His eyes flickered toward her for a moment. Hope filled his eyes.

"I was telling Tikki yesterday that to anyone who didn't know you were Chat, Chat Noir and Adrien are completely different people." Adrien's eyes fell at her words, "Chat Noir is dorky, arrogant, and mischievous. Adrien is quiet, kind, and respectful." Adrien's arms fell away from her and he took a few steps back. Marinette's heart ached, but she knew that she needed to finish. "Adrien and Chat, Chat and Adrien. They are total opposites." She watched Adrien's eyes darken as she continued.

"Could you stop talking to me like I'm not here," the pain in his tone was obvious.

"That's what I am trying to say," she walked toward him, "that's not you!"

"Yes it is Marinette, Chat is who I really am…" tears welled in his eyes, he clenched his fists. "My life is nothing, I have nothing, I am nothing … I can't do anything as Adrien Agreste!" He never raised his voice, but his words made Marinette feel small.

"But as Chat Noir…as Chat Noir I can do something, I can be something," He looked up at her, his eyes reddened as tears streamed down his face, "As Chat Noir I even had someone I could trust. For the first time since I lost my mom, I found someone who accepted me as me, who made smile and laugh made me feel loved," Marinette felt tears grow in her eyes, "Even if she didn't love me back. And then I found out she was just this ordinary girl in my class, and that made her even more extraordinary. But she didn't love me as Chat Noir. She loved me as Adrien Agreste, the prince who can only do what he was told."

He stopped, looking away from her. Marinette couldn't say anything at first, all she could do was stare. But as she looked at the pain in his eyes, she got angry. How could someone so wonderful think so little of himself?

"You're wrong," she whispered, walking toward him slowly. She reached out, wiping the tears from his cheek. "You aren't nothing Adrien…"

"Marinette…" he moved away from her touch.

"No Adrien, listen," Marinette looked at him, "What I was trying to say was, you aren't just Adrien Agreste. And you're not just Chat Noir. To people who don't know, those are two separate people, but they aren't. They are just to halves of the whole." She placed a hand on his cheek and watched his eyes soften, "You are both kind and dorky, quiet and mischievous. You both get this sad look on your face when you think I'm not looking. You had figured it out so well when you knew it was me but you couldn't see it in yourself," she cupped his face with both hands and pulled it close.

"Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste, they are both you. The moment I knew you were both, something clicked and I knew that it didn't matter who I was with, Adrien or Chat, because they were both apart of you, and I loved you. Not Adrien Agreste, not Chat Noir, but just you." His face was inches from hers. She could his breath as she pulled him closer. She stretched up on her tippy toes to fill the last hairs width of a gap, pressing her lips against his.

She could taste the salt from his tears, could feel how dry his mouth was from crying. She pulled at him more as he started to kiss her back. At first it was gentle, like the kiss they had shared before, but with each pull from Marinette, Adrien took it as a request for more. Marinette felt his hands on her waste, pulling her into him. And she let him because every kiss from him was like saline from a drip. She needed him to hold her as desperately as she needed to hold him.

"mrhmh,' she felt Adrien's lips try to form words against hers. She pulled back from him, her breath staggered. "Marinette," he barely huffed the word out, "We have to get back to school." They were separated now, but their arms still around one another.

"You're right," she moved out his arms but kept her hands in his. "Let's go," she pulled him forward while walking backwards. She moved toward the edge of the building, pulling him with her. "Spots on, Tikki," she said as she topped at the edge. The magic golden glow surrounded her as she transformed into Ladybug. Adrien grinned at her and followed her to the edge.

"Claws out, Plagg," he said and then she watched as an electric green light surround the boy she loved as he transformed into Chat noir. He looked at her with that same catty grin but now it was the most genuine thing she'd seen. "Are ready, my lady?" he asked, pulling her close.

"Now of course I am Kitty Kitty," Ladybug said as she let her free hand sling her yoyo at the nearest high standing building, "Now you need to catch up with me," She moved to leap ahead of him when she felt him grab for her arm.

"Mari-I mean Ladybug wait. I forgot to say it, but I do to."

"Huh"

"I mean, not Ladybug, not Marinette, I love just you too." Then he let her go and jumped off the edge of the building. Ladybug sat there for a moment in shock, she felt he cheek redden and then she realized what Chat just did.

"Hey," She said leaping after him, "That's cheating."


	6. Chapter 6

Adrien/Chat Noir

Adrien could barely contain his giddiness as he and Marinette walked into the school together for the second half of the day. Walking side by side, he kept letting his hand brush against hers as if it was an accident, but it was more like he just wanted to feel her next to him. He had to keep checking to make sure it was real, that all of this was real. He couldn't believe that he loved her and that she loved him back.

So they walked side by side, their hands a heartbeat apart, as they entered the school court yard. The sounds of feet shuffling arose from the students around them. Every eye turned toward them, whispers filling the air, as the couple strolled into school yard just inches apart.

Adrien kept glancing at Marinette, her warm smile, her rosy cheeks, her ebony hair. Every part of her glistened in the light of the court yard. He couldn't care less what the other students around him thought, but he had promised Marinette that they would keep their new relationship on the down low for a while. And with one disapproving look from Marinette, he remembered that they weren't on a rooftop scanning the city, even if he felt like he was looking as the stars.

Alya walked up to them, pulling Marinette away from him. Adrien watched as the girls moved away giggling. Alya kept glancing up at Adrien with wide eyes of exciting as she spoke to Marinette. Adrien looked away from the duo to see Nino walking toward him, the biggest grim on his face.

"Duude, I had no idea you had a thing for Marinette!" Nino was so loud that if the rest of the students had known, they did now.

"Nino!" Adrien hissed at his best friend. Adrien saw Alya and Marinette starring at them awestruck expressions. Adrien placed a hand on Nino's shoulder, pulling him away from everybody.

"Dude, keep it down," Adrien leaned in with a whisper, "I don't want the whole world to know."

"But bro what about that mystery girl you met online," Nino mentioned the lie Adrien had told when he had slipped up and started fawning over Ladybug. Adrien had luckily not said anything to revealing about it so he was able to cover it up. He had told Nino he'd met a girl online, who didn't know he was Adrien Agreste and all he knew was her username was L dybug88. It was such a bad lie, he had been sure Nino would catch on but he hadn't.

"Yeah, that girl," Adrien's eyes darted over at Marinette, "Turns out it was Marinette."

"Wow," Nino straightened up, "I never pegged Marinette as the online chatting type. I mean I knew she liked you,"

"Wait, you knew?!"

"Yeah, it was super obvious bro, like, stapled to your forehead obvious," Nino gave him a look of complete disbelief.

"Yeah well, imagine the hell Marinette will have to go through if my fangirls find out, If Chloe finds out. So try and keep it low key that we're a thing." Adrien wasn't completely lying. All these things were true. But if someone saw them together as Lady and Chat and noticed that those two were dating as well, their secret might be blown.

"You're right bro, Chloe and Sabrina will tear her up." Just as Nino said that, Chloe and Sabrina walked through the front gate of the school into the court yard. "Speak of the devil," Nino hissed under his breath taking a few steps back behind Adrien.

Chloe ran right up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, "Good afternoon lover, how is my favorite model." He heard her voice but he could feel Marinette's eyes on the back of his neck.

"Chloe stop,' he slowly and gently pushed her back by the shoulders. Chloe's face twisted into a little pout, her nose scrunching up like there was a foul smell in the air.

"Excuse me!" Chloe spat, shaking off Adrien's grasp. "You are mine!"

"No Chloe," Adrien said quietly, "I'm not yours. I have never been yours." Adrien heard Chloe gasp. But as every eye in the court yard turn toward the sound, Adrien saw tears well up in Chloe's eyes and not fake ones. She was genuinely starting to cry. Not those horribly loud fake sobs that she normally used to get attention. But just quiet, gentle sobs, ones that you could barely hear.

Adrien looked at the girl in front of him and saw an alternate version of himself. A version where he had simply accepted his father's abandonment, accepted the money and the bribes, all to fill the hole of him not being a real father. Getting every single thing you could possibly have but the one thing you really want, you can't buy with money.

These were all things he and Chloe shared. The only difference was that he had refused to accept those things in the place of his father's love as if they were good enough because they weren't. But Chloe had let those things replace her father's love. Now he saw how that had hurt her as he looked at the girl softly crying in front of him.

"Look Chloe," His voice was tender towards her, "There's some…

"You don't think I know that Adrien," her voice started to rise. "You don't think I know you're in love with someone else! I've known you for years Adrien. Of course I noticed when you started to smile more, started to laugh more," Chloe's voice faltered, "I could have anything I wanted but I… I could never have you." Then a sad grin fell across her face as she pushed passed Adrien.

Adrien turned around to see where she was going. He watched her as she suddenly stopped in front of Marinette. Adrien could everyone in the room tense up as Chloe stopped in front of her. He heard nothing but he saw Chloe's lips move and then she looked back at him for a second before she took off toward the classroom.

Right on que the warning bell went off causing the rest of the students to disperse toward the classroom. Adrien walked up to Marinette but neither one said anything. They just walked, stunned by what had happened, silently toward their classroom.

…..

Marinette/Ladybug

"You better take good care of him," The words were whispered so quietly that Marinette had almost missed them. They echoed in her ears as she watched Chloe walk away. She heard the bell ring and then she felt Adrien beside her. She had expected something from Chloe, it was only a fraction of the reason she wanted to keep their relationship quiet. Most of it was for Identity purposes. But she hadn't expected this. But complete surrender? From Chloe? Never in a million years would she have expected such a thing.

They went back to class without saying a thing, because there wasn't much to say. So they sat in class, the tension in the air so thick Marinette was sure there was a fog in the room. Everyone's eyes were on them during the entire class.

Afterwards Alya pulled Marinette to the side of the hall to finish their conversation. They waited for the rest of the class to pass by but just as the crowd of leaving students started to thin out, they noticed one straggler. Adrien was waiting at the end of the crowd for Marinette. Alya shot Marinette a teasing glance as Adrien walked up to them.

"So you're dating my girl huh?" Alya crossed her arms as she addressed Adrien. Marinette chuckled as she saw Adrien's cheek turn a bright red. The model just nodded as he looked over at Marinette. Marinette could feel her own cheeks grow warm as they shared a glance. They looked away from each other when they heard a loud scoffing noise coming from Alya.

"Am I interrupting something?" Alya teased, causing the two to blush. Then she turned toward Adrien, "Now listen up Agreste, my girl Marinette has been crushing on you for a while. So if you break her heart," Alya lifted her hand and made a fist, "I break you." Marinette watched all the color drain from Adrien's face as Alya shook her fist a little. Alya glanced back at Marinette with a grin and then stepped back from Adrien. She moved over to Marinette and two started laughing.

"What," Adrien said with a look of bewilderment. Marinette looked at Alya and the two started laughing again.

….

Marinette/Ladybug

"So what did you tell her when she asked," Chat Noir said as he swung through the air. Ladybug swung beside her boyfriend, maintain an even pace between the two.

"I told her that I bumped into you by chance at the café. That after we talked for a bit, we discovered our mutual affection for each other and decided to give it a shot," She explained to the boy with the cat ears. He landed swiftly on a building rooftop and turned toward her as she gracefully landed beside him.

"You realize that that doesn't sound like either of our personalities at all. You could barely speak to me coherently before yesterday and as for myself…" a slight tint or red flushed on Chat's cheeks under his mask..."

"You were so blinded by your feelings for Ladybug that you seemed completely oblivious to my feelings for you," Ladybug grinned as she leaned toward the cat.

"But I did know!" His eyes widened and his voice cracked, "I just thought would be cruel to lead you on if I was in love with another." Chat shuffled his feet awkwardly. Ladybug chuckled as she grabbed his hands, swinging them outward as she pulled him forward.

"That sure didn't stop Chat Noir from flirting with Marinette," Ladybug teased. She could see how awkward and flustered Chat was getting and she couldn't help but feel a little giddy that the shoe was on the other foot.

"I couldn't help it, you were just so cute when you were angrily ranting about my complete stupidity," he grinned, returning the teasing. She could see him start to recapture his cool composure and it was her turn to blush. She hadn't ever thought about how all those things she had complained to Chat about, she had been in fact directly telling to Adrien.

"I just can't believe you still liked me after all hearing all those awful things I had said about you." Ladybug admitted shyly. Suddenly Chat leaned down and gave her an eskimoe kiss, pressing his nose to hers. His grip tightened on her hands as he pulled her closer.

"How could I ever stop loving you and you're cute little freckles? Plus I had been pretty stupid for not seeing how you had always been there for me." Then he pressed his forehead to hers with a devilish grin on his face. She felt her heart leap in her throat. Maybe one day she would get used to those emerald green staring down at her with adoration. But for the moment, holding onto Chat's hands were the only thing keeping her from falling as a result of her weak knee he was giving her.

She felt more comfortable around Adrien knowing he was Chat Noir but she also felt a little more flustered around Chat knowing he was Adrien. She loved the boy and he knew it. But she knew he loved her too and they were only one day into their relationship.

So she mustered up the sass that she had always used to flirtatiously reject Chat before and turned it on its heels. With Chat's forehead against hers, she reached up and peck him gently on the lips holding the kiss for just a moment. Then she slowly pulled back, letting her lips linger just beneath his and then continued to pull away with her Cheshire smile.

"Hey," Chat whispered as he followed her forward, "That's mean. You shouldn't tease me like that."

"You started it," Ladybug chimed, just inches from him as he leaned into her. They had just started dating and yet here they were, acting as if they'd been dating for years. They had always been together and had loved each other for years. And almost every single day of that they had longed for a version of one another. Now that Chat was holding her, Ladybug had felt like she'd always been there, that she was always meant to be in his arms.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the sound of sirens and they were separated. Chat gave her his typical sly smile and a look that said 'let's go' before he turned to leap off the roof. But then Ladybug felt something. She paused and looked around curiously.

"What is it My Lady?" Chat looked back at her. He looked at her with confusion as she continued to look around.

"Nothing, it's just felt like we were being watched for a moment. But I'm It was nothing." She explained. Chat's face softened followed by a small chuckle.

"Well if it's nothing, then we need to go," Chat said being the responsible for once, "Crime awaits My Lady." He gestured a hand towards Ladybug with a short bow. She giggle taking his hand, offering a curtsy.

"Then we shan't keep it waiting sir," and with those words the two leapt off the building towards the sirens.

….

?

"And you are sure you saw them together?" the cold raspy voice question. She smirked at the darkly suited villain. Hawkmoth's steely gaze always made her shiver but her face never showed it. She had a job to do.

"Even better, I saw them kiss," her words hissed to the evildoing master of hers. She watched the look on Hawk moth's face turn to confusion.

"How is that supposed to be beneficial to me at all?" Hawkmoth rubbed his temple in frustration.

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't you see," she raised her voice, gesturing her hand into the air, "If Ladybug and Chat Noir are romantically involved then they are distracted by each other." She watched as Hawkmoth's eyes widened.

"Yes, if we can just capture one of them, then the other will have no choice but to bend to our will." He had finally caught on to her point. The two grinned maliciously at one another for a moment. Then hawkmoth sat up in the darkness, the light from the stained glass window causing his blue eyes to glow. "Good work, I alert you to when the next Akuma is released. You must keep an eye on Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Absolutely Hawkmoth Sir." Then she turned away, walking out of the secret lair and into the dark.


	7. Chapter 7

Alya

"Does she know?" Alya looked over at Nino as he asked the question. The warm light from the noon sun reflected in his eyes as he glanced at her inquisitively. She felt a slight tug in her chest as she looked at her boyfriend.

No, she hadn't told Marinette that she and Nino had started dating over a month ago. Marinette had been keeping secrets from her, and she knew it wasn't her place to make her spill. But she also didn't feel like she could tell Marinette just yet.

"It's not like you've told Adrien either." She replied. She felt his hand in hers tighten at the accusation as they walked along the river side.

"Well, ya know, with how him and Mari's been lately, ya know, all lovey dovey and stuff. I just felt like…" he stumbled for an explanation. Alya squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Nino, Babe, its fine. I say we let them have a week or so to work in that honey moon vibe and then we tell them." She leaned into him, pushing him sideways toward river.

"You better watch it or I'll fall in," he joked, "But you're sure they'll be cool with it if we wait."

"Oh no honey, they'll be pissed, but at least they'll slightly less pissed because they'll be happy we're happy because they are so happy."

"You know what, that's kind of crazy smart. I knew there was a reason I liked you," he teased flirtatiously. Just as he leaned in to kiss her, her phone went off. Nino pouted as Alya pulled away pulling out her phone.

"No way," Alya stopped in her tracks causing Nino to stumble. She looked at the screen to see that she had received a ladybug notice from an anonymous messengers. She tapped the message notification, which opened a link to a video. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What is it?" Nino tried looking over her shoulder, but to no avail.

"O…My…Gosh, I cannot believe my eyes," She saw it on the screen but Alya couldn't believe it.

"What!" Nino said, getting slightly impatient. Alya looked up at him and then continue to thrust the phone towards him. He looked first at her then to the phone. He tapped the phone, giving Alya one last glance before rolling his eyes and watching the video.

Alya watching his eyes slowly grow wider and wider as the video played. When the video finished, he just looked blankly at her for a moment, stunned.

"Was that Chat Noir?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Uh-huh," Alya grinned.

"Kissing Ladybug," he continued.

"Yep," her grin grew as the answer.

"And she was kissing him back?" He pointed at the screen for emphasis.

"Oh yeah she was, eeeehhhh!" Alya jumped up and down with complete glee. "I mean it totally makes sense, all the signs were there. They always flirt with each other, I just can't believe it finally happened." She was freaking out.

"Alya, babe, calm down. Who sent you this video?" Nino placed and hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"I don't know but I need to post it on the Ladyblog ASAP."

"Just wait a minute Alya, you don't know who sent this to ya, it could contain a virus, it could be corrupted, or who else knows what. Send it to me via email and I'll check it out for ya. I'll let ya know if there is anything wrong and if so I'll try and debug it for ya babe," Nino explained to her.

"You're right, you're the best Nino." Alya said throwing her arms around the boy, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

…

Marinette

Marinette's eyes widened at the video that had been posted on the Ladyblog. Adrien stood next to her at the computer desk as the video played. She felt Adrien's hand tighten on her shoulder as the video ended.

"What are we going to do?" She heard Adrien ask after the video ended. Marinette leaned back in her chair as Adrien took a seat next to her. She placed her hands, interlocked, over her eyes and let out a huge sigh.

"I don't know Adrien, but how did she get this video? Is someone following us?" Marinette shot forward suddenly. Adrien, You don't think…" Marinette couldn't even get the words out, they seemed so preposterous.

"That a completely un-akumatized Alya is willing working for hawkmoth just to get a scoop on Ladybug and Chat Noir. I seriously doubt it Mari. She is probably one of the few Parisians who actually knows what the akuma's are, who they work for, and just how bad that guy is. There is no way she'd do that." Adrien comforted. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief at his words. She knew there still might be chance he was wrong but his words were reassuring. Then she watched as her boyfriend awkwardly waddle scooted the rolling chair towards her. Somehow she even managed not to laugh at how dorky he looked doing it either. Then he pulled her close to him. She could smell his father's cologne on him, mixed with Adrien's natural smell. It was calming and warm, unlike when Chat would hold her. Chat somehow always smelt of the cool night breeze and brewing storm, dark, brooding, yet calm. This had always seemed so contrary to his personality that she thought it was probably just his kwami's magic.

"But this does mean we'll have to be more careful when we're on the job. If not then they may actually catch us de-transforming together." Marinette felt the weight of Adrien's head on hers as he spoke.

"Then we just won't de-transform together," Marinette squeezed him tighter, mumbling the words into his chest as if she disagreed with them.

"Easier said than done buggaboo, especially now that we're dating." The weight on her head grew a little more as if Adrien was now the one pouting.

"Now don't pout kitty kitty," Marinette pulled back just enough to look up at the model.

"Well now I am, get back here my lady," he whined pulling her back to him, his forehead meeting hers. Marinette felt her cheeks burn a blazing red but Adrien's cheeks were barely appeared pink. Marinette leaned closer, letting her lips brush gently against Adrien's and then curl into a smile. Adrien replied by gently pressing his lips against hers in response. Then again but a little harder and a little longer. Marinette leaned into the kiss, grabbing the collar of his outside shirt, pulling him in. Adrien complied and his hands were on her waist, pulling her up unto his lap. The next kiss deepened, replacing their need to breath. Marinette's hands moved on their own, pushing Adrien's white shirt back, trying to take it off of him.

"Marinette, Adrien," Marinette heard her mom's voice followed by footsteps up the stairs. In a flash, Marinette was simultaneously jumping back into her rolling chair while pushing her boyfriend back. The combined force sent her sliding into her desk with a thud while sending Adrien all the way across the room. Adrien's chair hit the wall just as Mrs. Dupen-Cheng popped her head through the floor door. Marinette looked at her mom in bewilderment as her boyfriend spun around in his wheelie chair across the room.

"Dinner's going to be ready in just a moment kids," her mom said, completely oblivious to the complete disarray the two teen were in. Then she went back down stairs. With wide eyes the two sat in silence looking at each other, waiting for her to come back. Adrien had finally stopped spinning and Marinette realized just how disheveled Adrien looked. His white shirt was hanging off his shoulder and his hair all ruffled like it had been caught halfway between his transformation from Chat Noir to Adrien.

She must have looked just as bad because right on que they both busted up laughing after the coast was clear. Then they got up, making themselves presentable. Marinette reached out, grabbing hold of Adrien's hand as they walked toward the latch in the floor. Marinette turned to open the door when Adrien pulled her back, giving her a small peck on the lips. The he turned and lead the way down the steps.

…..

?

"What a complete idiot, how did Hawkmoth even get his crummy little hands on that kwami of his anyway? He isn't even competent enough to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous," the girl spat bitterly as she paced across the empty open floor of hawkmoth's layer.

"I mean seriously, lady wifi had Ladybug pinned up against the wall, she could've just taken the earrings off and used her then completely defenseless alter ego as ransom for Chat Noir's Miraculous. That idiot has already sacrificed himself for his precious Ladybug enough times to know that he would give anything to keep her safe. Even his miraculous." She whined, running her finger through her hair.

"Is that so my flower?" a cold raspy voice said from the shadows.

"Oh uh, mister hawkmoth sir, I, erm, uh, didn't see you there." She stuttered as she spun around toward the voice. Hawkmoth stepped into the light, untransformed. He had never told her his real name but no other name really seemed to fit a villain who just as terrifying as he was ridiculous. _I mean with his puns, you might think he was related to Chat Noir,_ she thought.

"I noticed that, but do not worry child, I admire your distaste for authority, even if that authority is me. And you are correct, I have been sloppy. Simply letting the akumatized followed their own heartbroken wills has been a mistake. You sent a wonderful message to Ladybug and Chat Noir with that video. You told them that they are not alone, they are not safe. Now they will be cautious, too cautious, and they slip up."

"Yes Hawkmoth," she forced a grin, "Would like me to send them another message?"

"No," Hawkmoth grinned back, sending chills down her spine. She had never seen this look in his eyes before. He actually seemed evil. He walked towards the window, outstretching his palm, as a pure white butterfly landed in the center of his hand. She watched as he waved his hand over the little insect. But instead of the normal dark purple glow, the akuma grew a bright iridescent red.

"No, this time I think it's my turn to send our dear heroes a message."


	8. Chapter 8

Nathaniel

His hands moved across the page, graphite on paper as Nathanial tried to capture his surroundings. His eyes darted back and forth from the sketchbook in his hand to his surroundings. The glistening river surface, the people passing buy on the sidewalk, the beautiful green trees. If Nathaniel could somehow capture the cool summer breeze in his, then he would.

Nathaniel hadn't felt this peaceful since before he had been akumatized. He couldn't recall the whole experience, but sometimes bits and pieces came back to him in dreams. He kept dreaming of Marinette's warm smile in the moon light, or of giant shoes attacking him. That last one was a little bit more bizarre, but he always woke up feeling jittery, like he was back in the hotel after he had changed back.

But today, for the first time in a while, Nathaniel felt at perfect peace. It was a day off of school and summer was giving the residents of Paris a sneak peak of what it had in store for them. So Nathaniel took advantage of the beautiful weather and sat on his bench soaking in the sun.

As he breathed in the fresh air, a glowing red and black butterfly landed gracefully on his pencil. Nathanial's pencil turned a glowing red and burned hot in his hand but when he tried to drop the pencil, his fingers seemed unable to move. Immediately Nathanial thought it was an akuma. But he hadn't been upset at all.

"Evillustrator, my old friend, you are now under my control once again." The old familiar voice chimed in Nathanial's ear. He knew who it was but he also knew that he didn't have to agree to Hawkmoth's terms.

"No, I won't help you, you can't make me if I don't agree to it." Nathanial spat out loud in response to the voice. Nathanial's pen grew hotter and hotter in his fingers. He tried to pry it out with his other hand but it still wouldn't budge. Then he couldn't move at all as a red grew around him. Soon all he could was red as he transformed into the Evillustrator again.

"You see Nathanial, I can make you and I will." Hawkmoth's voice was the only thing that Nathanial was aware of as the red haze surrounded him. Then the world was back but he still couldn't move. He felt his body stand up against his own volition and an evil laugh erupted in his ear.

"Stop this, let me go, I won't help you hurt people, I'm not…" Suddenly He couldn't speak.

"Time to put a stop to that. How about I do the talking from no on? Why don't you just sit back and enjoy the show?" Nathanial felt the words leave his lips but they weren't his. His voice was joined by another more scratchy voice. It was like someone had remixed his voice with Hawkmoth's as an attempt at a cruel joke. But this was no joke, it was very real. Hawkmoth was in full control of his body and Nathanial could do nothing about it. But the worst part was that Nathanial was still 100 percent aware of everything. He felt his arms move toward the art pad, his legs as he walked forward. And he saw and heard everything as he erased the bridge, sending twenty screaming innocents into the river below.

And he sat and watched, helpless, as Hawkmoth used his body to hurt people. And all he could do was scream into nothingness.

…

Marinette/Ladybug

Marinette was sitting at her desk when she heard the screams outside her window. The day had suddenly grown strangely overcast just before the screams began. She had been working on her latest designs on her day off, so she would have time to spend with Adrien later after he had finished all the extra photo shoots his father had suddenly scheduled for the day off.

But all of that would have to hold because Hawkmoth had akumatized another distraught person. Marinette grabbed her phone and rushed to the window. Tikki followed close behind as the view out the image became apparent. Cars and lamp posts were half erased, random objects were just floating in the air.

"This looks like something Nathania would do as the Evillustrator Tikki. But Hawkmoth can't akumatized someone twice can he?" Marinette pulled out her phone to dial Adrien's number.

"I'm not sure Marinette, but we need to get down there."

"Of course, just let me call Adrien so he can get here A.S.A.P." Marinette said hitting the call button. The tone rang for a bit when finally Adrien answered.

'Hey babe, I miss you too but I'm still at that photo shoot my dad scheduled." Adrien said, his voice sounded hurried. Someone in the background yelled about him being on his phone.

"No it's not that, I mean I do miss you but that isn't why I called. Hawkmoth has akumatized Nathanial again." Marinette rushed.

"What? Can he even do that?" Adrien said surprised.

"Apparently so. I just need you to get down here when you can Babe. I'm going to transform and do what I can." Marinette Explained.

"Okay," Adrien said half-heartedly. She could tell he didn't want her to go by herself. "Just be careful princess, we don't know what's going on here. Just don't get too cocky."

"Like your one to talk, and do you doubt me kitty?" She teased, "I promise you I'll be safe." She could hear Adrien shift his weight on the other side of the phone.

"Okay babe then you better get out there," Adrien said hesitantly.

"I'll see you soon," She said, prepared to hang up when suddenly Adrien stopped her.

"Wait Marinette. I, um, just wanted to say, I love just you." He whispered. Marinette couldn't help but smile.

"I love just you too." She replied and then she heard a click. That wasn't the first time that Adrien had gotten so flustered that he accidently hung up.

"Well we better head out there Tikki, the Akuma's not going to stop itself. Tikki Spots on!" Marinette exclaimed. A brilliant red glow surrounded her as she transformed into Ladybug. Then she leapt out the window and into the street, ready to face hawkmoth once again.

…

Adrien/Chat Noir

The photographers and makeup artists had all stopped telling him to get off the phone when they realized that it was his girlfriend on the line. Because for every ounce of professionalism and loyalty they had towards his father, they were twice as nosey. They had all gathered around to hear what he was saying to Marinette.

"Wait Marinette. I, um, just wanted to say, I love just you." He said. He felt uneasy about her gong out by herself, especially if it was something they had never experienced before. But he knew she could handle herself. He just wanted to say those words to her because those were the words that had brought them together.

"I love just you too." Marinette replied and instantly Adrien felt his cheeks redden. Then he heard the phone click and realized he had accidently hung up. He sat there for a moment and remembered that he was surrounded by his photo shoot crew. They were all staring at him, eager to hear what had been said. He realized he'd have to lie in order to not reveal their secret.

"That was Marinette, she says another one of the Akuma bad guys is on the loose near where she lives." He started to explain. The crew gasped, concerned. "No guys she's alright, I was only worried because she was going to help anyone who might've been hurt. But she said that the villain is headed this way and we should get somewhere safe." Technically it was only a half lie, but as everyone rushed to pack things up, he took the opportunity to disappear in the confusion.

Adrien ran down the street when no one was looking. Plagg poked his head out. Full of curiosity.

"So now you're gonna come whenever she calls," Plagg teased as the young prince ran into an empty alley.

"Oh, you know, it's not like this happens to be our job or anything, you know destroying stuff, de-akumatizing people, the miraculous business." Adrien said sarcastically. The two stopped in the middle of the alley for a breath.

"I think it's time you stopped watching that American show supernatural Adrien." Plagg chided. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"You know I only watch it Nino, he says it helps him become a better director or something. Anyway my point is, that this what we're supposed to do so let's do it. Ladybug needs us. Claws out Plagg." Adrien was then surrounded by glowing green lightning as he transformed into Chat Noir. With his newly acquired baton, Chat Noir pulled it out and checked Ladybug's position.

"Good, now let's go see what's going on is." He grinned and projected himself upward and onto the roof and off towards lady luck.


	9. Chapter 9

Chat Noir

The air grew stale as Chat arrived on the scene. His eyes scanned the surroundings in front of the Louvre pyramid. The area was quiet and empty with the exception of two brightly colored figures to his left. Their colors seemed to starkly contrast against the dark storm sky brewing above. Chat's eyes finally landed on her and he had to keep himself from losing his breath.

He watched her as she moved swiftly to avoid the attacks of the once again akumatized Nathaniel. He moved quickly in response. He flew by her side, almost getting hit by a giant flying shoe.

"Sorry I was late my lady," he extended his staff, "the crew cares more about GF gossip than about mortal terror."

"Of course, they are in the fashion industry." Ladybug tossed her yo-yo toward Nathaniel, capturing him in her unbreakable string. She pulled him forward as he struggled against her strength. Chat watched her pull him in with the ease of a fisherman puling a small fish when suddenly she let go.

"Ouch," Ladybug dropped her yo-yo. She held her hands out, burn marks revealing the skin beneath her suit.

"My Lady!" Chat exclaimed. He reached out toward her when a force knocked him to the ground and he spaced. When he looked up, he saw that Ladybug had been knocked down as well. The Evillustrator was standing over them.

"Nathaniel, stop this." Ladybug cried out to the poor akumatized boy. Chat knew where her heart was, and he loved her for it. But for some reason Chat got this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, like when his father yelled at him.

"Ha," the Evillustrator bellowed. Nathaniel's voice had been twisted horribly into something dark and twisted. This voice sounded like something from the darkest part of your worst nightmares. The pit in Chat's stomach grew as Nathaniel continued to speak.

"No, no, no, my precious ladybug, I am not Nathaniel, nor am I the Evillustrator." He chided as if they should already know. The Evillustrator moved his hand so quickly, that Chat couldn't respond. Chains appeared around him and ladybug. They wrapped around his waist, pulling him to his knees. Chat did everything to fight against it as the chains tightened around his wrists, pulling him down on all fours. He looked over to see that the same had happened to Ladybug.

"What have you done with Nathaniel?" Chat demanded.

"Oh I haven't done anything. He is merely my puppet. But don't worry, he is still here with us and he is very aware of what's going on." Chat felt the color drain from his face as Nathaniel's face twisted into a wicked grin. He looked over and he saw tears streaming down Ladybug's face. She was so empathetic and Chat could see the pain in her eyes.

"Nathaniel you have to fig-," Ladybug cried through her tears.

"Nathaniel can't hear you my dear, he is too busy screaming," Hawkmoth interrupted. He closed his eyes, moving his hands up like a symphony director listening to a master piece. Chat felt the sickness in his stomach turn into anger. He struggled against the chains as the anger swelled inside of him.

"Hawkmoth," Chat spat bitterly.

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, Susan, tell him what he's won." The wicked voiced spilled out of Nathaniel's lips. Hawkmoth clapped Nathaniel's hands and unexpectedly, the chains around them grew hot.

Chat was growing sick and tired Hawkmoth's torment. His friends had been used, mistreated, and taken advantage of by this mad man. And now here he had trapped another friend within his own mind, making him watch as he was forced to cause others pain. But the most infuriating thing was that Hawkmoth had hurt his Lady. He not only made her cry, but ladybug had literal scars, burns and bruise, too many to count, on her body.

But as the anger in Chat grew, it was hearing Ladybug scream that broke him. He clenched his fists, pulling against the chains as hard as he could. Now everything was hot as Chat mustered every ounce of his strength to pull himself up onto his. So hot that the next thing that happened became a blur.

….

Ladybug

Ladybug felt the heat of the drawn to life chains pull her down as the poor Hawkmoth controlled Nathaniel sneered at her. But she was more concerned about how Hawkmoth was controlling him like a puppet. Never before had the akuma's been able to completely control a person. But suddenly Ladybug became distracted as the chains around her waists and wrist began to burn.

Letting out a scream of pain, tears stung her eyes as the chains began to burn hotter against her skin as if she wasn't even wearing the suit. She could hear Chat struggling as the metal clanked against itself. She wanted to struggle herself, to try and fight for her freedom, but the heat and weight of the chains drained her.

But as she felt herself start to lose consciousness to the pain, she felt the ground beneath her begin to shake. She looked over at Chat and couldn't believe her eyes, he was the source of the shaking.

Ladybug watched as Chat was seething beneath the now glowing red chains. _His chains look so much hotter than mine,_ Ladybug thought. But Chat had somehow managed to stand back up. The Evillustrator worked fast as more chains appeared around Chat's arms and neck. But Chat, who was now glowing bright green, seemed unaffected by the heat.

"Chat, what are you doing?" Ladybug choked out, still weak from the chains. Chat turned toward her with a wild look in his eyes. He almost looked part animal. With a closer look, Ladybug noticed that he might be. Chat's hair had grown out, even more untamed than usual. He grinned at her with sharp cat like canines. His claws, which she thought were just part of the suit, grew out long like two inch steal blades. And she wasn't sure if it was the heat exhaustion or not but he even looked bigger.

Then with a flick of his wrist, his red hot chains shattered like glass and he was free. The Evillustrator was frozen, the whole time, a sickly grin on his face. Where the chains had been, dark purple burn scar showed beneath the holes in the leather cat suit.

Chat walked towards her, hunched over with a darkness about him. Something was wrong with him. He wasn't himself as he reached for Ladybug's chains. He tore them away like wet paper. He didn't even bother trying to help her up, he just turned away and faced The Evillustrator.

Chat walked slowly toward Hawkmoth's puppet, which was much more terrifying than if he had sped over to him. Ladybug's heart stopped as Chat stopped in front of Nathaniel. She felt herself rise up onto her feet, her heart into her throat. The air was thick from the storm clouds above. Time stood still as Ladybug watched this Chat imposter move just inches away from The Evillustrator's face.

Then, like a broken guitar string, time snapped back with a sting. Everything happened so fast. Chat snatched up Nathaniel's neck in his claws, picking him up off the ground. Hawkmoth only grinned behind The Evillustrator's face. But he said nothing as if he wanted Chat to hurt him. Ladybug felt herself between the two before she even realized she had moved

"Chat don't do it," She pleaded, "This is what Hawkmoth wants. He wants you to hurt Nathaniel. Chat, Nathaniel is still in there." But Chat didn't loosen his grip. His rage was too blinding. Tears started to well up in Ladybug's eyes. She placed both hands on Chat's chest. The burn marks were still tender and she felt Chat flinch at her touch in response.

"Chat please," She placed her forehead against her hands that were resting on his chest, "I know that **you're** still in there." She felt him loosen up but he still wouldn't let go of Nathaniel. She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. His pupils were just slivers surrounded by dark green. He glanced down at her and once their eyes met he was caught.

Ladybug knew that Chat was still in there somewhere. Then his expression softened as he recognized the fear in her eyes and dropped The Evillustrator. Then Ladybug felt his hand move toward her and caress her face.

"I… Love…Just…you…" He coughed in a raspy voice. Now Ladybug felt tears of joy streaming down her face. She moved into his embrace.

Then she remembered that Hawkmoth was still controlling Nathaniel. But she remembered too late.

"Now," She heard his voice before she had time to react. Then all she could hear was the buzz from the electricity coursing through her and Chat and then everything went black. The last thing she remembered was seeing two big bright blue eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Ladybug

When she opened her eyes, Ladybug was sure that he was still asleep because it was pitch black. She felt her eyelids flutter up and down as she blinked in the darkness. She realized she was laying on her back horizontally. She struggled to move her arms but they were bound above her head. _Where am I_ , she thought to herself. Then scenes from the battle flooded her mind.

Hawkmoth had been controlling Nathanael against his will, using him like some kind of sick puppet. Then Chat Noir turned into a type of beast and he lost control. And then everything went dark.

She realized that she must've been wherever Hawkmoth had taken her and Chat. But she couldn't see anything around her. She could feel the chains that kept her bound. They clinked lightly against one another as she struggled to see her dark surroundings. So many things were running through her head. Ladybug felt a sudden sense of urgency as she realized that she didn't know where Chat was.

But just then she heard breathing. She froze with fear, completely helpless. She listened. The breathing seemed ragged and labored, as if the person was barely getting a breath out. The breathing sounded close but not right next her. Ladybug couldn't be sure but it didn't sound as if whoever was breathing was moving any closer to her.

So she laid there and tried to think of what to do now that she was sure she wasn't in any immediate danger. She couldn't de-transform. It'd be too risky. Plus there wasn't any guarantee that Tikki could get her out of her chains. She tried to roll over but her hands were connected directly to the surface that she is chained to, preventing her from doing so. Finally she decided to wait until Hawkmoth finally showed up, thinking it better to save up her strength. She resigned herself to the silence, only interrupted by the sound of the arduous breathing of a stranger.

But Ladybug knew that it was no stranger. She knew in her heart who it probably was, but her mind couldn't face that Chat could be hurt so badly. Worrying would only make her vulnerable and there's no doubt that Hawkmoth would try and use that for his own personal gain. She just needed to be patient.

She waited for what seemed like hours when she finally heard the sound of footsteps bouncing off the walls. Then the sound of a door slamming shut followed by more footsteps, slightly hurried this time as if they were going up a flight of stairs. Finally the steps sounded like they were in the same room as her. The taps echoed loudly, making the room sound much bigger than she had previously thought. Then the steps stopped followed by someone clearing his throat.

That's when the sound of some mechanism started to stir leading to the reveal of a huge stain glass window opening. The metal creaked as it opened to a beautifully done butterfly window. Ladybug rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it was that Hawkmoth had made his layer butterfly themed.

As the window opened, light spilled in, shattering the darkness. Ladybug glanced around, actually having a chance to take in her surroundings. She now saw that she was in a rather large circular room, chained to a table of some type.

"Ah, so you're awake." She heard a voice say and then she felt the table move. It lurched toward Hawkmoth, sitting her up to face him. It finally stopped at what felt like a forty-five degree angle, giving Ladybug a better look at her prison. It was then that she the other table, only a few feet from her. On it lay a still very unconscious Chat Noir. _Had he really been that close to me, but he sounded much farther away_ , her mind raced, _could his breathing really have been that shallow._ Chat's suit was torn, where his skin showed his body was was littered with burn marks. But he wasn't all beastly anymore. His chest barely rose as he continued his ragged breathing.

The worry must have shown on her face because Hawkmoth Chuckled.

"Don't worry child, he is alive, for the time being." Hawkmoth teased. Ladybug felt anger as she struggled against her chains to no avail.

"What did you do to him?" She spat, letting herself get worked up. In the back of her mind she knew it was no good to get worked up. She knew that she could de-transform any moment from exhaustion and that she needed to conserve her strength but she didn't care.

"I did nothing, he did this to himself, all on his own." Hawkmoth looked over at the sleeping cat.

"You're lying."

"No I'm being honest. You see that little temper tantrum he threw at The Lourve, that was all his doing and that's why he's so exhausted. You see our miraculous…"

"Our?" Ladybug interrupted.

"Yes, 'Our'. I have a miraculous too dear, now please pay attention, it's rude to interrupt. Our Miraculous are influenced by our emotions. That's part of the reason why yours can always make what you really need as opposed to what you think you need. It judge the emotion of not only yourself but of those around you. And as long as the Miraculous wielder uses mostly positive emotion and good intention, then the miraculous power can be contained by the kwami and used for good.

"But if the Miraculous wielder gives into their darkest emotion, well that's where things get tricky. Every person's darkest emotion is different. For Chat noir here it was anger, but for me it's desperation. For you it may be something else. But once a wielder gives into this emotion, they darken their miraculous and gain complete control of its powers. But it comes at quite the price. As you can see it drains the strength of the user significantly." Hawkmoth explained. He looked over at Ladybug as if to ask if she had any questions.

"But then how are you not exhausted all the time? Aren't always using your miraculous give Chat and I hell?" She asked. The man just grin as if it was some sort of secret. Then he started walking over to Chat. "Stay away from him you bastard!" Again Hawkmoth just smirked as he reached down and grabbed Chat Noir's face in his hands. Ladybug struggled against the chains as she watch Hawkmoth turn her boyfriend's head left from right.

"You know, I'm very impressed that he hasn't de-transformed yet. His kwami must be very loyal and very strong." Hawkmoth stated, it even sounded sincere.

"Now you really shouldn't play with other people's things," a female voice said from the corner of the room. Hawkmoth turned toward the voice and Ladybug's eye followed. Her glance met a petite figure. From her appearance it was obvious that she too had a miraculous.

Dressed in red, orange and yellow feathers, her suit seemed to match Hawkmoth's, like a Magicians apprentice. With feathered coattails, cuffs, and lapels, her suit jacket was gradient red that turned orange. A red peacock pin was pinned above her left breast pocket. Her undershirt was a bright canary yellow. Her mask even had bright red and orange feathers coming out the top center, her blue eye popped against her red mask. Her short golden hair flipped up at the ends like Chat's does when he transforms. And even though she was wearing thigh high leather boots it didn't do much for her height. Her whole ensemble made her look like she was on fire. The fashion designer in Ladybug couldn't help but want to take a look

"I'm sure Ladybug doesn't appreciate you playing with her boy toy." Her voice was shrill like it was constantly annoyed with the world. Ladybug gritted her teeth at the comment.

"My flower," Hawkmoth said opening his arms towards the girl walking across the floor. Her heels clack against the metal floor.

"I told you the name is Phoenix, and I'm not your flower." Phoenix spat, pushing Hawkmoth aside, continuing towards Ladybug and Chat Noir. "But my associate here has a point, you and your kitty cat must be quite the pair." Phoenix came close to Ladybug's face with crooked grin. She placed a gloved hand under the heroes chin, turning her head to the left. "Isn't that right, Marinette." She whispered just so Ladybug could hear.

Ladybug's eyes widened, fear trickled down her spine like boiling water. _How does she know who I am?_

"What do you want from us? Why haven't you taken our Miraculouses yet?" Ladybug asked, the fear obvious in her voice. Phoenix let go of Ladybug's face and moved toward Chat Noir.

"You see as long you and your pet here are transformed, only you can take off your miraculous. It can fall off on accident but that rarely happens." Then she glanced back at Hawkmoth and nodded. Hawkmoth waved his cane and both Chat's and Ladybug's tables began turn upward until they were at eighty degree angles. Ladybug watched as Phoenix slid off a white magician's glove and placed the back of her bare pale skinned hand against Chat's cheek.

"Get your hands off him, don't touch him." Ladybug struggled against the chains.

"Now now, what kind of party would this be if both of our guest of honor weren't getting honored." Then she reared back her hand to the slap Chat Noir, "Time to wake up Kitty," And then she did.


	11. Chapter 11

Chat Noir

Chat Noir woke to a stinging pain on his left cheek. At first everything was blurry but then as he went to move his hand to rub his cheek, he realized he was chained up. His surroundings started to clear and he saw a girl who looked like a four year olds feather craft project. She couldn't possibly be any older than him, she looked barely five feet tall.

Chat looked around to see where he was and saw a quiet Hawkmoth behind the bird lady. Then his eyes landed on Ladybug and his heart fell into his stomach. He saw that much like himself, she was chained to a table. The fight with the Evillustrator suddenly came back to Chat, well the beginning at least. He couldn't remember what happened after they had gotten chained up by the Evillustrator.

"Good, Now that the Kittie's awake we can get started." The bird girl said when she realized Chat was awake.

"What are you supposed to be? Some kind of burlesque dancer?" Chat quipped. The bird girl's brow furrowed and he couldn't see it but he could feel Ladybug fighting a grin. Good. It was good to know that she wasn't hurt so bad that she couldn't smile.

"You little…" She raised her hand towards him when Hawkmoth grabbed her by the shoulders, gently pulling her back.

"Now Phoenix, my dear, you've already hit him once, and if you do it again it'll lose its charm."

"Your right. Mustn't waste my time on such a childish remark. I have other things more important to be bothered with." She shook Hawkmoth's hands of her shoulders. Chat noticed the broach above her chest pocket.

"A childish remark for a child sized person," Chat grinned and suddenly got very dizzy. Apparently he wasn't well enough to smile. It was then that he saw all the bruises, the burns, and the holes torn into his suit. _What happened to me?_

"Chat!" He heard his Lady's voice. It sounded half concerned and half scolding.

"Don't worry" He turned his head toward her so that he could see her. He hadn't realized she was just to his left. Why did she sound so far away? "I'm fine," He lied with a smile, making himself light headed again. The concern on her face didn't go away. Man was she beautiful. Man did he love her.

"He's lying, he's very exhausted. I surprised he had enough spunk to snark off to me just now." Phoenix said as she turned toward the huge stained glass window. The window looked out over all the city of Paris. "You see kitty, after your big fit, your body couldn't handle it."

"Whatever you say bird lady, I feel fine." Chat said and it wasn't a lie. Even though he saw the marks on his body and moving his head too fast made him a little light headed, he didn't really feel any pain. He just felt really tired.

"That would be the shock, now try to keep up. Your darling dearest is getting worried and she should be. You need serious Medical attention."

"What do you mean he needs serious medical attention?" Chat heard ladybug's voice, panicked, alert. She sounded really concerned. He needed to get his act together. He needed to be strong for her, let her know he was alright.

"You can see as plan as I the obvious second and third degree burns on his body." Phoenix continued without turning around. Hawkmoth just watching from the side.

"But I was bound by the same chains and just my suit was singed." Ladybug noted.

"But the more monster boy struggled, the hotter the chains got. That was my special touch." _What does she mean monster?_ Chat thought. Then flashes of the rest of the fight came back to him. His stomach started to churn as images flashed in front of his eyes. Sharp claws, razor like teeth, his lady cowering in front of him, and rage. A rage so blinding that it made Chat's head spin. He began to panic, struggling fiercely against his chains.

"Oh," Phoenix turned back slightly, "I see, perfect." She walked towards the door she entered from, "Come one Hawkmoth, let them stir a bit."

"But, their Miraculous'," Hawkmoth raised his hand half way as if to question her while following behind.

"All in due time," She grinned wickedly and the two villains left the room.

Chat continued to struggle violently against his binds as panic seized him. He couldn't breathe as he started to feel the pain of the burns all over him.

"Chat, calm down," He heard ladybug say his name but she sounded so far away, like a whisper. All he could hear was his heart beat in his ears. Tears ran down his face as he fought his chains to no avail.

"Chat!" ladybug said louder, but only sounding somewhat louder to Chat. "ADRIEN, Please."

Ladybug/ Marinette

"ADRIEN, Please," Ladybug felt her voice leave before she thought of what she said. But she didn't care. Phoenix had made it clear that she knew their identities. All that mattered was that the boy she loved was in pain.

At the sound of his real name Chat stopped and slowly turned his head toward her, tears streaming down his face.

"Marinette?" He whispered. "Did I really become a monster?"

"Adrien," Ladybug paused, swallowing a lump in her throat. She looked at the hero and saw the pain in his eyes. "No, because monster's hurt people and didn't hurt anyone."

"But I saw it, I saw you cowering, afraid of me." He looked so weak, "Are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you?" she smiled softly towards him, "I was afraid for you. I was worried for you. I could never be scared of you." She watched as the words softened Chat's face and the pain left his eyes. Then his eyes widened.

"Wait you said my name, but what if…" he started.

"They already know dear," She interrupted.

"Then how are we going to get out of here?" he asked. Ladybug thought for a moment, looking around for something when it hit her.

"Babe where's your baton?" She asked. Chat gave her a strange look. He slowly moved his head, surveying the surrounding area.

"It looks like they took it." He finally answered, "What about your yo-yo?" he asked.

"Yeah they took it too. But if I de-transform for just a moment and then transform again, the yo-yo might rematerialize." She explained.

"And you think the same thing could happen if I de-transform?" He asked. He stopped, slightly out of breath.

"No!" She exclaimed sharply, "Plagg is the only thing keeping you alive right now. She said that if it wasn't for the Magic of your Miraculous and the strength of your kwami that you'd be dead." Ladybug recounted what Phoenix had said earlier.

"She could be lying…" He started to argue.

"That's not a risk I'm willing to take!" Ladybug spat. Her heart raced. She was so worried she had lost him before. She never wanted to feel that way again.

"Besides, I didn't wait a year and a half to find out the boy I loved was also my partner in stopping crime only to have him get killed by some girl with a feather fetish right after we started dating."

Chat's eyes sparkled, "My Lady!" some colored even returned to his face. Ladybug couldn't help but snicker. Only Chat could make her laugh in a situation like this.

"Okay let's due this." She spoke, giving Chat a wink. "Tikki Spots off," as she spoke the words a magical glow surrounded her and she transformed back into Marinette.

"Man I'm one lucky guy," Chat whispered as he watched her de-transform. Tikki appeared in front of Marinette.

"Okay Tikki, do you have the strength to transform back?"

"I do if you do." Tikki said sternly, ready to go."

"Then let's get out of here," She grinned, "Tikki Spots On."


	12. Chapter 12

Ladybug

Ladybug rushed over to Chat and broke his chains, but he remained on the table. He flashed her a soft grin.

"Babe, I think you'll have to help me up. That Pheonix chick might've been telling the truth." Chat whispered. Ladybug placed a hand on his cheek and then moved to pick him up. She lifted him up and put his arm around her shoulders. His feet hit the floor and she felt his whole weight on her, letting out a slight gasp. She wrapped her arm around his waist and eased him forward.

"Man who knew I had a thing for buff chicks?" Chat joked trying to relieve the tension as the moved toward the exit. Then he cringed at the pain it took to laugh.

"If it hurts so much to laugh, then stop joking around." Ladybug wanted to keep up the banter to keep Chat's spirits up. She had heard once that sad men die faster.

"You just can't tell a jokester to quit joking around. That like telling a dog not to bark." He leaned in real close to her pecking her on the cheek, still hobbling along, "Or like telling a certain cat not to kiss his bugaboo." He smiled at her facetiously.

They reached the steal door frame and met the top of a flight of stairs. Ladybug looked softly at Chat, her eyes asking him if he was ready. He nodded and they trudged downward. Each step seemed like a century. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs they were greeted with a long hallway. Two doors stood symmetrically on each side of the dark wall. A single door at the end. The farthest on the right stood ajar.

Ladybug froze as she noticed a dim light that shined from the cracked door. She felt Chat tense up next to her. Suddenly a roar erupted from inside the room. Hawkmoth's voice boomed from inside, sounding angry.

"What do you mean he's gone? Well where is he? Find him this instant, if anything has happened to my son you will pay dearly." Then the shouts were followed by footsteps. Ladybug suddenly went into overdrive as she and Chat raced to the closest door on the right and jumped in. They sat in the dark room and listened. The steps were hurried, growing closer. Then they passed and disappeared.

"He must've gone upstairs." Ladybug whispered.

"Then we need to hurry up and leave," Chat whispered back shifting his weight. Suddenly the lights flicked on. They swung around to see Pheonix, sitting elegantly at a desk in the middle of the room.

"Did you know that this miraculous," she tapped at the fan shaped broach on her chest, "was originally the peacock miraculous? Belonged to Hawky's old maid. Now it's mine. It's all corrupted with my darkest emotion. I mean Hawkmoth changed his from butterfly to moth so why couldn't I change mine?"

"Are you drunk? Like seriously, who just sits in a dark empty room unless they are hungover?" Chat asked with bewilderment. She stopped and looked at the couple as if just acknowledging their existence.

"You know, with all these flames and fire, you would think my darkest emotion would be rage, or anger, or maybe even fury. But, no, it's loneliness. Because nothing burn bright and hot like loneliness. You can't touch and person on fire or you'll get hurt. And that's what a lonely person does. They push everyone away, convinced that they are two dangerous too touch."

Chat and Ladybug looked at each other, confounded by this girl.

"Well' you better leave before he comes back," Pheonix warned. "The exit is at the end of the hall. It opens to an alley way which leads to a street. At the end of that street take a right and then a left and you'll be at you parent's house Marinette." The two heroes' eye's widened.

"Why are you helping us?" Ladybug demanded.

"Because, I want you to feel my pain. You will get you boyfriend all fixed up and you will have to come up with some clever lie," She rose from her seat, "and then you will be alone.

"Because you will know I'm there, in the same halls, in the same rooms and, in the same classes. And you will feel helpless and alone, unable to tell a soul, paranoid of who to trust. You will become so desperately dependent one another and then that is when I will rip you from each other's loving embrace and you will feel truly desperate and alone. Like me."

Ladybug looked in horror at the girl across the room from them. Chat must've felt her shaking because he squeezed her tightly.

"Come on we better leave before he comes back." Chat gestured towards the door. Ladybug nodded and then peaked out the door. The hall was clear. They rushed out the door only glancing back for half a second, expecting Pheonix to stop them but she didn't. They finally made it to the end.

The door opened to a dark alley way just as Pheonix said. They followed the rest of her directions and finally found the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. It was dark outside when they crashed through the bakery doors, setting off the bakeries alarm system. The heroes were soon greeted by Marinette's parents.

Bob and Sabine stood in shock, the silence only broken by the sound of Chat collapsing to the floor of the bakery, coughing violently. Drops of blood stained his lips. Ladybug fell to her knees beside him, tears rolling down her cheek. She looked up at her frozen parents and pleaded with them.

"Mama, Papa, please help him," She cried.

The Dupain-Chang's sprang into action. Sabine moved towards the first aid kit behind the counter as Tom reached for the phone. He dialed the authorities.

"Yes sir I need an ambulance. No I don't need the Police, I need an ambulance. Ladybug and Chat Noir are here, and they're injured."

…

Marinette

The ride to the hospital seemed like a nightmare to Marinette. It took every ounce of bribery in her to make the paramedics promise not to tell a soul who Chat was if he transformed back into Adrien. He would have to eventually turn back, his body and his kwami couldn't keep it up much longer.

But that wasn't why the car ride was so terrible. The car ride was terrible because Marinette had to finally explain everything to her parents.

"Honey why didn't you tell us?" Tom asked.

"You would've told me it was too dangerous, that I needed to stop. But I can't stop being Ladybug Dad. Paris needs me, the people of Paris need us. We were chosen for this, chosen to save Paris, to stop Hawkmoth to…"

"Honey, sweetie, Marinette. Calm down. We understand. We just wish you had trusted us enough to tell us." Sabine tried to calm down their frantic daughter as the pulled into the hospital parking lot. The barely got parked before Marinette jumped out of the car and ran into the building. She rushed to the front desk demanding to see Chat Noir.

"Sorry Ma'am," the nurse said and then continued in a hushed tone, "He is currently in intensive surgery. I am under very strict instructions to not let anyone see him unless authorized by Ladybug herself." Then a police officer came from across the waiting room and whispered something in the nurse's ear and her eyes went wide. "Okay Ma'am I'll let you in as soon as he can have visitor's." Marinette thanked her and went to take a seat.

And as she walked across the waiting room, every eye was on the girl who was waiting for Chat Noir.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, thank you so much for your patience and support. I love all the positive reviews and kind words that you have been giving me. I only have one thing to say to the naysayers. If you don't like the story, then don't read it.

Marinette

Marinette sat in the waiting room with her parents for hours. Earlier she had been called into the doctor's office to discuss the detail of Chat's secret identity. His lead doctor had agreed to only choose his most trustworthy of staff members. Luckily, they were very willing to keep quiet.

Now she sat quietly in the mostly empty waiting area. Most of the news crews had left when the clock struck two A.M. like some kind of delayed Cinderella fairy tale. Eventually the Doctor gave her the go ahead to go in and visit him around four A.M.

She walked down the linoleum hallway, following the Doctor close behind. He finally stopped, open the door in front of him. He moved to the left to reveal Adrien, detransformed on the bed. He was unconscious, attached to a heart monitor and an I.V.

"Oh shoot," she said juat audibly enough for the doctor to hear.

"Is there a problem Miss?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah, How are we going to explain this to Adrien's Father? He dosen't know that he's, well you know," Marinette's word stumbled to a halt.

"Do not worry Miss, I've got it all covered. I had a decoy Ambulance come in carrying Adrien here. The poor boy was caught in the wreckage caused by that dreadful akuma. He should be fine in a few weeks but until then no work whatsoever." The Doctor winked and then left her in the room alone with Adrien.

She slowly approached the bed. Adrien slept softly, his breath semi-audible. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and surveyed the room. She hadn't payed much attention on the way there but it appeared to be on a higher level. She didn't recall going up an elevator but she could hardly think of anything other than Adrien at the moment. The room was meant for two people but the other bed was empty. The floor was a light blue and the walls a bland white. There was small T.V. in the middle on the wall opposite of them. Marinette stared at their reflections in the darkened screen. _How did we get here?_ She thought, staring into the dark glass. Suddenly she saw Adrien move in the reflection.

She turned towards him, reaching for his hand. She gently takes it into hers as he stirs.

"M'Lady," He mumbles as his eyes flutter open. He turns towards her and groans in pain.

"Adrien, don't move, you've been hurt really badly," She urged leaning forward. He nodded and relaxed again. His eyes widened. "What is it?"

"W-where's Plagg?" he whispered urgently. Marinette placed a hand gently on Adrien's cheek to calm him. His face softened.

"Don't worry, I've got him right here," She pulled her hand away from his cheek and reached towards her bag. She opened it to a sleeping Tikki and Plagg. She gingerly snapped the bag closed. She slowly placed her hand back into his.

"Don't worry, I won't let him know you were worried." She teased. Adrien smiled with relief. He squeezed her hand tightly, interlocking his fingers into hers. Marinette could feel herself redden. They sat there quietly for a moment. Then Adrien's expression hardened.

"I'm so sorry Marinette," Adrien whispered as he sat up in the bed.

"What, Adrien, why are you sorry?" She asked. She moved to sitting on the edge of the bed beside him. Suddenly Adrien was tearing up and crying.

"It's all my fault, this is all my fault." He looked down as the tears filled his eyes, "You were right. You tried to warn me but I didn't listen." He lifted his hands to his head, the burns on his forearms openly visible.

"No it's not, no it's not," She placed her hands on his hands.

"Yes it is! All because I just had to know who you really were." He snapped. She pulled his hands down slowly.

"Adrien, Please, Adrien, look at me," She said holding his hands in her lap. He slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers as he sniffed from the crying. His green eyes were red and puffy. He looked ashamed. "Adrien, I am so glad that I found out." She spoke slowly with hard spaces between her words. She gently pressed her forehead against his. "I am so happy that we figured each other out because Adrien I love you and if I could go back I wouldn't change a thing." Her nose brushed his. His hands tightened around hers. His eyes staring deep into hers as the silence fell over them. They sat there breathing each other in. Marinette realized how watch much of what she said was true. If only she had listened to him and been honest. They could've been together sooner. Now all she wanted was to be with him, to make up for lost time.

Suddenly there was click of the door opening. Marinette shot off the bed as Gabriel Agreste barged into the hospital room. Marinette stumbled backwards as Gabriel rushed to his son's bed side. She watched as the illustrious fashion design who was known for his emotionless gaze fell into tears as he pulled Adrien into his embrace.

Adrien looked at Marinette with a very surprised look. She shrugged with a quirky smile. Gabriel leaned back from Adrien and gently grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Son, what were you thinking? What if you had been killed. I couldn't stand if I lost you t.." Gabriel's voice cracked.

"Father, I'm sorry. There were people in danger. I had to help," Adrien quietly explained.

"I understand your heart was in a good place, but Son you're all I have left," He said quietly. Then the two Agreste boys just sat quietly for a moment. "You know," Gabriel finally spoke again, "I had to do everything in my power to get Nathalie to stay home. I needed her to stay and answer all my business calls for the day." The boys both chuckled at that. Marinette couldn't help but chuckle at the Agreste men.

But as soon as she chuckled, Gabriel straightened right up and turned toward her. For a moment they sat there quietly staring at one another.

"Miss, but may ask what you are doing here?" Gabriel broke the silence.

"Oh u-um w-w-well u-um I'm-m M-Marinette, your son's u-um…"

"Father, this is Marinette," Adrien interrupted, "She's my girlfriend." Gabriel Agreste looked back and forth between the two tweens at what his son said. "She's the one who found me father," Adrien continued. "Her parents call the authorities and had me rushed here immediately. If it weren't for her, I might not be alive." Adrien stopped. The three of stood in silence. Then Gabriel slowly turned towards Marinette and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you for bringing my son back to me," Was all he said. Then he released her and stepped back. Gabriel then moved to the other side of the bed and sat in the chair at the bedside. Then Marinette took her seat in the chair she had been sitting in earlier.

Adrien

Adrien watched as Marinette sat awkwardly with her hands in her lap. He glanced over at his Father who was already started to doze off in his chair. Adrien moved his hand reaching towards Marinette. He wiggled his fingers gently until she noticed. She looked at him and then looked over nervously at his father. He smiled at her awkwardness. She slowly reached for his hand and he met her half way at the edge of the bed. Their fingers interlocked. He squeezed her hand tightly. She scooted her chair closer to his bed. He chuckled as she tried do it all awkwardly with one hand because she was still holding his left hand. She eventually made it work though. She then rested her head on her arm as she laid her head on the bed beside him. He looked at her looking up at him and smiled.

"I wouldn't change a thing," He whispered as quietly as possible. Then he pulled her hand to his lips and gently kissed it. He moved their hands back onto the bed and watch her smile at him as she drifted to sleep. It was almost five in the morning after all. Then he felt himself fall asleep holding her hand.


	14. Chapter 14

Marinette

Three days after Adrien was admitted to the hospital, the Doctors cleared him for release. The doctor's who knew his secret promised to keep it as long as it meant keeping Paris safe. The news articles were split between the sudden disappearance of Chat Noir from the hospital and the injuries of Paris' favorite model. The doctors told Adrien and his father that while Adrien was good to go home, he still needed to rest. Gabriel Agreste conceded and canceled all of Adrien's appointments outside of school for the next week.

All the business of the even had swept Marinette up into a whirlwind of half lies and excuses. She was almost as popular as Adrien. Questions such as, "Aren't you Adrien Agrete's girlfriend?", "What were you doing with Chat Noir that night?" and "Do you know Chat Noir's real identity?" swirled around her. Even Alya was relentless. Only Adrien and her parents knew the truth and that was the only thing she could take solace in.

The door clicked shut as they walked into the house's living room. Adrien had been released that day and Gabriel had insisted they go home to rest. Marinette of course would go to visit him under the guise of Ladybug later that night.

"So this is why you have been missing classes." Marinette's mother spoke softly as she looked at her from across the table. The were sitting at the dining table across from each other. Marinette just nodded as she fidgeted in her chair. "Sweetie, why didn't you tell us in the first place?' Her mother had been asking all the questions with a calm and gentle voice. It was obvious that she was very concerned.

"Tikki said I couldn't tell anyone, and if I did you would have been worried sick everything I went or when you saw me on T.V.. And what if you had made me stop being Ladybug. So many people would be hurt or worse without me and Adrien doing our duty as Ladybug and Chat Noir." Marinette explained, getting excitably defensive. Her voice raised a little with the last sentence and she started to rise from her seat.

"Marinette, darling, calm down," Her father said with a chuckle, "There is no need to be defensive. We just wanted to know the truth. You have always been able to come with us with anything you struggled with before, we just wanted to know if it was something we did that changed that." Mr. Dupain Cheng's smile was gone and he almost looked hurt. Marinette instantly realized that they thought she didn't trust them.

"No, Papa, Mama," She rose from her seat and went around the table over to them, "You didn't do anything wrong. I do trust you guys, but I also wanted to keep you safe." Her parents embraced her in one large family hug. They broke apart smiling. Marinette sat back down.

"Ok then," her mother continued gently wiping a tear from her eye, "That just leaves us with two more things. First is that we need to talk about your school. You have been keeping your grades up lately but barely. We need to talk about some ways to keep you super hero-ing from making you fail a class."

"Well now that Adrien and I know each other's identities, we can make sure and study while we are on patrol and cover for each other when an akuma makes us late." Marinette moved her hands about in the air."Plus it'll save a whole lot of time not having to go a separate way then him on the way back to school so that be nice." Her parents chuckled at her little quip.

Suddenly, Marinette's parents got very serious. They looked at her quietly.

"Also Mom, You can't tell Adrien's dad that he is Chat Noir." Marinette pleaded.

Tom and Sabine's eyes grew as they shared a glance. 'You mean he doesn't know either?" Her father asked with a incredulous tone.

"Well Adrien had the same rules as me. Don't tell anyone, not even each other. The only reason that we found out was because of a fluke. All because it rained," Her parents gave her a weird look, "Anyway, Adrien's dad **Can't** know. He barely let Adrien attend public school, if he found out he was Chat Noir, he would probably place him under civilian arrest. And Mom I can't do it alone, I need Chat Noir to be by my side when I fight."

"Okay honey we understand, but then we need to have this same talk with Adrien in his father's place. I wouldn't feel right as a mother if I didn't." Sabine said seriously. Marinette snickered at her mother's dedication.

"So what's the second thing?" Marinette asked nervously, remembering that there were two things. Her hands tugged at the end of her shirt, fidgeting again. A deep pit grew in her chest as she watch the change in her parents' countenances.

"We are concerned about your safety. Your's and Adrien's." The pit in Marinette's tightened as her mother began. "What happened for you two to be hurt so badly?" What happened to Adrien? Are you sure…" Her mother paused for a moment, "Are you sure it's safe for you to keep being Ladybug?" There it was. Marinette's stomach churned. It grinded itself into a pit into her stomach, sucking all the air from her stomach.

"Mom," Marinette choked out the words only as fast as the pit would permit. "You can't expect me to quit being Ladybug. Especially now that…" Marinette's voice stopped. She suddenly realized why a pit had grown in her stomach. It wasn't because she was nervous about what her mom was asking, it was because she was afraid. She had been to busy to think about Phoenix or what she had said. But now that things were slowing down, now that her mother had reminded her, she was terrified.

Marinette grew pale with fear and suddenly felt the urge to hurl. Being closest to the kitchen, it was easier for her to rush to the garbage and puke. Her parent's were soon at her side, concerned for her health.

"Oh My Marinette," Her father said as he pulled back her hair while her Mother went for a towel. Marinette took it and wiped her mouth. Her father took her up into her arms and carried her to the couch. Marinette Suddenly felt seven years old again. He placed her on the couch between himself and her mother. She suddenly felt safer.

"Sweetie what is it?" her mother whispered. Marinette took a deep breath and then spoke.

"There was this villain,"

"You mean Hawkmoth right?" Her Father interjected.

"No. Yes? Yes and No. It was just Hawkmoth, but now there is this other villain. She's working with him, or for him or he's working for her. I'm not sure but, like, she's really bad. She had us in her clutches Mom," Now it was Sabine's turn to go pale. She looked at her husband with dread but said nothing. "She could've killed us right there or stolen our miraculouses' and exposed us. She _knew_ who we were!" Marinette's voice went soft with this last sentence. "But she ," MArinette gestured her hands forward, " just Let. Us. Go. She didn't really hurt us or anything. She just let us walk right out of there." Marinette paused for a moment, the urge to vomit returning. She swallowed her nerves and carried on.

"But," she looked up at her mom and dad, "I can't stop being Ladybug. No matter how scared I am."

"Marinette you're fourteen you don't have to be the savior of Paris." her father stated, his face now stricken with a disheartening complexion.

"Dad, I can't just give the job to someone else. Tikki and the Miraculouses were given to me for a reason. I wasn't just chosen to be Ladybug but I chose to remain Ladybug so that I could make a difference, so that i could stop the evil. I made a vow to the people of Paris." She grinned slightly at her parent, "and you guys raised me to always keep my promises."

Tom and Sabine looked back at each other and couldn't help but grin. "Look at our little girl Sabine, it seems she is all grown up already." Tom said, a bit of pride in his voice. Then he grabbed both the ladies of his life and pulled them into his arms tightly. The all started giggling and smiling.

"Okay," Tom broke the hug apart by just a little, "But i gotta ask, Who the Heck is Tikki?"

"Tom! Language!" Sabine shot him a glance.

Almost as if on cue, Tikki popped out of Marinette's purse which had been strewn across the table upon arrival. She zoomed over to the cuddling family and right into the middle of them, inches from each of their faces.

"Hi, I'm Tikki." The little red Kwami said sweetly. Tome and Sabine looked dumbfounded at what they thought was a bug.

"Mom, Dad, " Marinette finally broke the silence, "This is Tikki, She's My Kwami."


	15. Chapter 15

Ladybug

Ladybug stood over the city, her fourth night without her kitty by her side. He had insisted joining her but luckily plagg refused to transform him until he was completely healed up. So here she stands, looking out toward the Paris skyline. The lights of the city sparkled like stars beneath the dark night sky. The nights had been rather calm, almost as if Hawkmoth was giving them time to recuperate. But while the nights were calm, her mind was not. Ladybug's thoughts kept moving from scene to scene, replaying what had happened in that tower. She was so frantic to get out of there, to get Adrien out of there, that she didn't even pay attention to where the tower was in town. She had just walked until she recognized a street through her blurry vision.

But now she regretted not paying attention to street signs, store names. Any detail that might of led her to find out where they had been held. If they knew then maybe they could scope it out, plan an attack, or even get the upper hand.

"You're not going to be able to do it by yourself," a low wise voice says from behind. Startled, Ladybug jumps up defensively and turns around. She moves a hand towards her hip as her eyes meet the figure behind her.

"Master Fu!" She exclaimed.

"Relax child, I'm here with good news." Master Fu said calmly.

"How did you even get her, this building is like three stories tall?" She said as she looked skeptically at the old man. But she relaxed as the began to chat.

"You forget child," he raised his wrist to expose the turtle bracelet, "I too am a Miraculous wielder." then he turned the turtle to himself and looked upon it wistfully and whispered, "Though soon, I may not be any longer."

"What do you mean, Master Fu? And what do you mean good news?" She asked, sort of concerned.

"Well, Child, they are one in the same. I am very aware of the recent events and the danger that you and Chat Noir face is growing. As you know, there are multiple miraculous such as yours. With the growing danger, I have decided that it is time to choose to more holders to join you and Chat Noir."

Ladybug stood, shocked. She looked at Master Fu with bewilderment.

"Who will you choose?" She asked silently.

"Ladybug, you know as well as I that their identities must remain secret." He gave her a sharp look, "I wish you and Chat Noir had done so as well," Ladybug bleshed in response.

"Now foofey, you're being too harsh," a small voice says as an equally green figure popped out from behind Master Fu.

"Wayzz, I thought I told you to stay hidden," Master Fu's tone suddenly changed to one similar to Marinette's when she speaks with Tikki. Master Fu sounded like a young kid with his best friend, and that thought made Ladybug smile.

"If I recall correctly, a few hundred years ago a certain turtle revealed his identity to a certain Vixen heroine," Wayzz teased. Ladybug just stood there in awe of this very rare information.

"That's enough Wayzz," Fu said calmly with a smile, "Now Ladybug," Ladybug straightened up, "I cannot tell you who the holders will be, but I can tell you that they will be holding the bee Miraculous and the fox Miraculous. They will need some help, so I expect you and Chat Noir to show them the ropes. Once he has fully recuperated that is."

"Fox and Bee, sounds fun." were the only words Lady bug could spit out. She was processing so much information. At this Wayzz zipped back into Master Fu's shirt pocket as Fu turned around to leave.

"I better go now and leave you to your patrol," Fu Said and then jumped off the roof. Shocked, Ladybug ran to the edge, but when she looked over he was gone.

"I swear, that man's all about entrances and exits." Ladybug scoffs as she moves to return to her patrol.

…

Chloe

The sun shown down on the small Parisian cafe as Chloe took a sip from her tea. It was rather warm saturday afternoon as summer was around the corner. Chloe had been coming to this cafe by herself after the incident with Marinette at the school. She liked to be by herself with none of the expectations of the others in her class. She knew she was a bad person, that what she did to her classmates was the worst, but she hadn't realized how much it hurt them. But being by herself, with no one's expectations gave her time to genuinely reflect over her actions.

"May I sit here Miss," a gruff voice says. Chloe looks up to see that the voice belongs to an old man in a hawaiian shirt.

"Why would I let an old man like you sit with me?" Chloe spat disgustedly. She knew it was cruel, but it was all she knew. But then the old man smiled and it took her by surprise.

"You act so cruel young miss, but I see so much potential hidden in your heart." The old man says as he turns to leave. These words really take Chloe by surprise.

"Wait," the man pauses, " I guess you could sit with me or whatever." _Why can't I just be fucking civil?_ Chloe thinks to herself. The man continues to smile and takes a seat. He says nothing. Chloe just waits for moment and then she speaks.

"What were you blathering about old man efore you almost left?" She questions, really trying to pull the rudeness back.

"This is not who you truly are." is all the man says. But before Chloe can respond the waitress comes and asks him what he'll have. After the order is taken, the waitress leaves. But the waiting just made her angry.

"What do you know?" she whispered quietly at first as she just looked at her reflection in her tea. The man looks at her curiously. "What the hell could you possibly know about me?" Her voice is a little louder as she clenches her tea cup and then takes a swig, trying to hold back sobs. "You think I have potential but you're wrong, I'm not worth anything, I'm not a good person." She puts her tea cup back down. Tears quietly rolling down her cheeks, she just says, "I'm a monster."

The man looks saddened by these words but he says nothing. The waitress comes by and gives him his tea in a small little cup without saying a word. He sips quietly for a few moments and then sets the empty cup down. The whole time Chloe is looking down, ashamed of herself, afraid to look him in the eyes. He then silently stands up and places some money on the table. Then he goes to leave and as he passes her he whispers, "Only a hero can slay a monster," and then he walks away.

Chloe sits, not really sure what to make of his words. Eventually she went home.

She walks through the front door of the hotel. "Hello Miss Bourgois, How was your day?" Says the receptionist but she passes him by without a second glance. She moves into the elevator and fiddles with her phone, scrolling through instagram as she takes the ride up to the top floor. Pictures of her classmates with their friends, Marinette with Adrien, Alya with Nino, Juleka, Rose and Mylene, all enjoying enjoying each others company. She shuts the phone off and pockets the phone as the elevator doors swing open. She walks to her bedroom door and sighs deeply as she opens the door.

When she enters the large room, it is of course empty. She tosses her bag on a chair and walks into the bathroom to splash water on her face. She looks in the mirror at herself. The water has washed her makeup off revealing subtle bags under her blue eyes. Her golden hair is a little frizzy from the wind so she takes it down from it's ponytail and then puts it back up again, nice and neat.

Chloe moves back into the main area of her suite bedroom and sits in the chair next to her bag. As she reaches over her bag to grab the remote, she notices that a small hexagon shaped box that had fallen out of her bag.

"Huh, what's this?" she says as she grabs the little box and sits up. "I don't remember buying this," she says and the proceeds to open the box to reveal ac small hair comb that has a bumblebee with outstretched wings on it. And right as she thinks to herself _I would never wear such a tacky hair comb_ , it lights up and a small yellow ball of light appears and then out of that ball a little yellow bug creature appears. Chloe doesn't move, she is frozen in fear as this little creature materializes in front of her.

"Hello, my name is Pollen, I'm your Kwami," The little creature says to her as it zips up into the air. Chloe, in shock drops the box and backs up over the arm of the chair and onto the floor.

"What is, is, a kwami?" is the only thing chloe can seem to get out.

"I am silly. But more specifically a kwami is a magically being who can grant humans special powers, much like a fairy." The bug explains as it rests itself on the arm of the chair that Chloe just jumped out of.

"Why are you here?" Chloe feels herself calming down as she moves into a criss cross sitting position on the floor and looks eye level at the kwami.

"Weren't you listening, I'm here to give you powers silly. You have been chosen."Pollen explains.

"Chosen for what?" Chloe asks.

"To be a hero, of course." Pollen says nonchalantly. Chloe's eyes widen in disbelief at this. Her heads tilts downwards, crestfallen.

"You've got the wrong person, I'm not meant to be a hero. I'm nothing like Ladybug and Chat Noir." Chloe admits to herself dejectedly.

"You wouldn't have been chosen if you didn't have the potential for good in your heart." Pollen say in a very mater of factly voice.

"Potential?" Chloe says quietly at first. She then remembers what that old man said to her when he left. _Only a hero can slay a monster._ She looks up at the Bee Kwami and smiles.

"Okay, then tell me how it works."

…

Alya

"Uuuuugggggghhhhhh," Alya wails as she she throws herself on the desk in the classroom next to Marinette. She had been searching furiously through her bag before this sudden outburst.

"What it is?" Marinette asks looking at her best friend who sitting with her head down on the desk and her arms outstretched over the edge of the desk in mourning.

"I left. My homework. At home." Alya says with her face against the desk.

"Well then just go home and get real fast," Nino turns around to make this comment. Adrien turns around to and nods.

"Yeah, We'll cover for you," Adrien confirms with a grin. Alya looks at her friends and smiles.

"Thanks guys you rock," she says and she rushes out the door. She moves through the halls, down the stairs and out of the front of the schools. She runs down the street to her house as fast as she can.

She stops at a corner for a breather as a few cars pass. As she waits for the traffic to clear, she looks over at a bus stop next to her. She's tempted for a second but she know that it'll be faster if she runs. Shes jogging in place anxiously when she sees an old man in a tropical red shirt who is holding multiple paper grocery bags. Out off the corner of her eye she can see the man glancing at her, but just as the traffic clears, one of his grocery bags rips and his groceries fall onto the sidewalk.

Alya looks at the clear road and back at the old man and then silently curses to herself. She rushes over to the old man and helps him pick up his groceries and puts them into another bag.

"Oh thank you miss, I appreciate your help." The old man says as she places the last piece of fruit into one of his lighter bags. Just then the bus pulls up and the old man gets on. He turns back and smiles at Alya. She smiles awkwardly at his, looks back to the road. She waits for the bus to leave and then runs across the street. She continues running until she gets to her house. She runs up the stairs of her apartment building. She pops into her home, goes to her room and looks around frantically for her homework. She spots it on her desk, but there is a small hexagonal box sitting atop it. In a rush, Alya doesn't give it much thought and grabs both. The she hurries out of the apartment and rushes back to school.

When she finally makes it back to school she has missed roll, but luckily, her friends covered for her.

"Miss Césaire, Your friends here explained that you had an emergency, so if you'll hand me your homework, I'll let it slide since it is your first offense." Mrs. Bustier says as Alya walks into the classroom. Alya nods, walks to her desk where she stashes the strange box in her bag as she sets her bag down and then walks over to her teacher and hands her the homework. Ayla moves back to her seat and blushes profusely. Marinette smiles and gives her a fist bump under the desk.

After that Alya has a pretty smooth school day. By lunchtime she has totally forgotten about the box. When she makes it home for the midday break, she looks through her back for her school tablet so she can edit her digital planner so that she can make time for both homework and the Ladyblog. Then she notices the box.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about this,' she says as she lifts it out of the bag. " I wonder if one of the twins left it in my room?" she thinks out loud to herself. "I wonder what's in here," she says as she prys it open. She opens it to reveals necklace of what appears to a fox's tail. As she registers this, a ball of orange light appears around the necklace charm and then out of that ball a small bug like creature appears. Alya stumbles back onto her bed and yelps loudly. In front of her, floating in the air, is a fox looking bug.

"What are you?" Alya whispers from her bed. The bug gives a mischievous smile.

"Of course you wouldn't know, But I am a Kwami. To be more specific, I am the fox kwami and my name is Trixx," It says snarkily.

"Okay, but why are you here?" She asks.

"I'm here to make you a hero of course." He replies simply.


	16. Chapter 16

Adrien

Adrien had been back in school for two weeks now and there hadn't been a single akuma attack. Marinette had told him about what Master Fu had said and how despite his words, there hadn't been any sightings of the new miraculous holders during patrols. Even if there had be, he wouldn't have known. Between his father locking down the house, tightening up his schedule and Marinette refusing to let him patrol until he was fully healed, he hardly saw anything anymore. He knew they were just worried about him, with good reason of course. Adrien still hadn't completely wrapped his mind around what had happened in front of the Louvre when that akuma had attacked. He could barely remember it but he had seen the videos and they were...terrifying...to say the least.

The upside however was now his father would let Marinette come over almost anytime after they had gotten acquainted in the hospital. They had met in the past but in the way an eager fan meets an idol. Now it was like they had bonded in their solemn goal of protecting him. He was sure they would ease off, eventually, but it was nice to see they were getting along. Marinette's parents were no better either. Since they knew his and Marinette's secret, they had been dotting on him daily, sending him boxes of cookies and cakes and creme puffs. He had already added on a few pounds because of it and if he didn't start patrolling again soon, he might have to become a plus size model. Which wouldn't be a bad thing, when Adrien really thought about it.

Adrien was now standing in the open area of his school, talking to Nino about the latest Jagged Stone album when he noticed Chloe walking through the front doors. She had been acting a little different lately, a little nicer. But that wasn't what caught his attention. What caught his attention was the silver hair comb placed in front of the base of her pony tail. A small, barely noticeable hair accessory that Chloe had been wearing for a week or so now. The issue was that he hadn't noticed it at first. This was unusual for Chloe because the instant she got something new she always made a point to show it off before never wearing it again. But when he had said something to her about it she did something unthinkable, she brushed it off acting like it was no big deal. This could only mean one thing: it had been a gift from Chloe's mother.

Adrien initially blamed Chloe's mother for how cruel Chloes was. She had left Chloe when when Chloe was just a toddler, leaving her father to raise her alone. This lead to her being spoiled for the sake of time management and hurt by her mother's betrayal. To make matters worse, once in a blue moon her mother would send a present from wherever the hell she was at and expect Chloe to get all giddy about it. Chloes would wear or use the present for a week or two secretly hoping that wearing it might make her closer to her mother, only to feel embarrassed and stupid, discarding like everything else. Adrien remembered the first time he had experienced one of these present situations when he and Chloe were ten. Chloe had gotten a hair bow from her mother on her birthday and she wore it with pride for days. But Adrien also remembered the tears that soon followed that pride, it was one of the few times Chloe had be genuine in front of him.

"Adrien, earth to Adrien," Nino tapped Adrien's shoulders trying to bring him back to reality. "Man did you even hear a word I just said?"

"Oh um," Adrien fumbled looking back towards Nino, "Yeah, No . Sorry dude, I guess I'm more tired then I thought." He made a sheepish look at Nino hoping he would buy it. He did.

"Aw man, are you still not sleeping? Your old man ain't gonna let you leave the house if you don't start getting better. But I can't blame you after all. With what you've been through, I wouldn't be sleeping either." Nino tried to sympathize the best he could. Like most people, Adrien had lied to him about what really happened. Some Things were true. The fact that he had been hurt during an akuma attack by an akuma wasn't a lie nor was the fact that he had nightmares every night. But he wasn't dreaming about the poor akumatized soul that had been forced to to attack him and Ladybug. What haunted his sleep was the image of him turning all beast like again and hurting someone, hurting Marinette.

"Any man, Are you gonna be able to go with me to get the new album from Jagged Stone today?" Nino asked with Hope in his voice. His dad had just barely started to ease up on him this week by saying he could hang at Nino's place this coming weekend and he knew he ought best not test his luck. His face must of revealed his answer because nino's suddenly sunk.

"Oh c'mon man don't be like that," Adrien pleaded in a half genuine half teasing tone, " You know my dad is still being major protective after all that happened. You're just lucky he is letting me come over this weekend."

'Wait bro, he's letting you come over this weekend?" Nino exclaimed ecstatic, grabbing Adrien in a hug.

"What I hadn't told you, I knew I forgot something," Adrien feigned forgetfulness.

Nino pulled back from the bear hug, both hands gripping Adrien's forearms. Adrien gave his best friend a goofy smile.

"You," Nino said returning the goofy smile for his own, while wrapping his arm around Adrien's shoulders. Just in time to see this honesty display of loving camaraderie, Alya and Marinette walked up to their boys from behind.

\ "Now Adrien do I have any reason to be jealous?" Alya teased, bringing the boys' attention the the girls. Nino and Adrien, without releasing each other from the other's grip, spun around in one large swoop to face the girls. It was quite the impressive feat.

"Yes," Adrien said with an almost completely serious face until he and Nino busted up laughing simultaneously. Adrien had really come out of his shell and was even starting to make jokes in the same dorky fashion as Nino and Alya. But that didn't mean Alya was going to let him get away with it.

"That's fine," She said nonchalantly as she threw her arms around Marinette's shoulders from behind, "That just means I get Marinette all to myself, isn't that right Mari?" Marinette, instantly able to play along, threw her hands together in a swooning maiden pose.

"Oh Alya," she said playfully only to be followed by their joined laughter. The four all laughed together in an eruption of giggles.

...

Chloe

Chloe had only transformed once after she got Pollen. She had never been more glad that there hadn't been an akuma attack in weeks. She had made sure that she would had no hand in making an akuma as much as she could control. She had never been more nervous in her whole life as she was to fight her first akuma. She would be fighting alongside Ladybug and to a lesser extent even the thought of fighting by Chat Noir's side made her nervous. Could she really do it? Was she really up to the test of being a hero. She had been wearing the hair comb just in case but she hadn't made any public appearances as her latex clad self.

It was after school and Chloe was on her way out when she saw Adrien. She had told Sabrina to go on ahead to the store and get them a place in line so they could get the new Jagged stone CD, Chloe told her she had run some mayor related errands for her father but she just wanted to walk there herself. She had been doing a lot of thinking lately and it helped to do it when other people weren't watching. So she was packing up quietly by herself in the classroom when she saw Adrien. He had also told his friends to go on ahead without him. She knew that he wasn't able to go but they had offered to walk with him to his father's car. Instead Adrien said he forgot something and ran back into the classroom. But he wasn't looking at his desk for whatever he had forgotten, no he was looking at her.

Ever since he had started public school again, they had grown distant. It was mostly due tothe fact that she was horrible to everybody and he was so sweet. But he never stopped trying to be her friend. He even tried to encourage to be nice, he was naive like that.

"Chloe," he said with sympathy in his voice, "Where did you get that hair comb?" his voice was still sweet and gentle, but in the way you approached a wounded animal. But the question still made Chloe horribly nervous. She had tried so hard not to bring any attention to the comb that no one had asked about it in weeks but of course Adrien had noticed it.

"What hair comb?" She lied. Pollen had told her b=very specifically not to tell anyone about who she was or about the miraculous.

"That silver one, it looks very nice. I thought I might get one like it for Marinette," Now they were both lying and Chloe knew it. Did Adrien know something she didn't?

"Oh this old thing," she said gesturing towards the comb at the top of her head. It was time to put on on the Chloe Charm™ "It's just a family heirloom that Daddy found," she said making herself sound arrogant and proud, despite really being neither of those things. She hated lying to Adrien.

"Chloe I know when you're lying," He said with a little more hardness to his voice. _And I know when you're lying_ she thought. Why was he so adamant about this? "You got it from her didn't you?" his voice was now mixed between hard and soft like he didn't know how to feel about what the answer might be.

"What," Adrien has broken Chloe's selfish facade with these words, leaving her baffled.

Adrien slowly walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Adrien what are you…"

"You said you wouldn't let her hurt you again," he said gently.

"Adrien, No," She stated, " It didn't come from my mother." Chloe pulled herself away from his grasp. She wanted to be happy that he went through this trouble worrying about her but she was too focused on trying to keep her secret.

"Oh, I uh," Adrien seemed confused.

"It's sweet of you to be worried about me Adrikins but you have nothing to worry about." She did her best to try and reassure him. "It's just some dusty old trinket Daddy found in a box of things from my grandma. He insisted I wear it and you know how much I hate to disappoint Daddy." Chloe really tried to sell the story.

"Oh, OK," Adrien seemed a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to see you get hurt or akumatized." Adrien shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Oh Adrikins you're so sweet to me," She said trying to reassure him with her regular self. "Why don't you let me walk you out to you papa's car?" This made Adrien Smile which calmed Chloe's palpitating heart.

'Okay chloe, Let's go," He responded with a giggle. Chloes quickly grabbed her bag off the desk and turned to follow him out the door.


End file.
